From Bad to Worse or Not?
by Yasha-Sempai
Summary: She opened her heart once only to have it broken to pieces… She let another one pick them back up only to loose him to death! Now she has met another man who knows the same kind of lose, but is their newfound love strong enough? Vincent ValentineXOC
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note!**

This is a Vincent Valentine X OC because we need more of them! Also I know that my OC resembles a character know as Priss Asagiri from Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040, but it's not her!

Just want to make that clear so no one gets on my back about it… I don't own any of the characters from the Final Fantasy universe! NONE! The only one I own is my character…

And now please enjoy my love story, and don't worry it only have some minor angst moments ;)

**Chapter 1!**

"For God sake! Just kill her you idiots!" a man in black leather shouted into the intercom of his helmet as he forced his black motorcycle to go even faster along with four other guys beside him.

He signaled for one of them too open fire and the guy brought out his hand gun and started blasting!

"Shoot all you want guys you're not going to slow me down!" The one riding in front of them shouted with a laugh as she speeded even faster down the road!

Her eyes widen when one of the bullets almost scrapped her bike! "Okay now I'm taking it personally!" she snapped!

She pushed a small button on her bike, which opened up a case in its side. Reached down she pulled out a black machine hand gun and without turning around she pointed behind her and opened fire! Hardly feeling the recalls.

Hearing the satisfying sound of a bike exploiting she turned her head and looked over her shoulder now only finding three of the five guys chasing her.

"Guess I must have taken two down with that one." She smirked putting her gun away again as they entered the highway where traffic was crowded!

She tucked a hand into her short red leather jacket and felt for something in her inner pocket. Feeling her glowed fingers brush against something round and smooth she quickly smiled before paying attention to what was going on around her again.

One of the bad guys had gotten up beside her and started raising his gun to her head!

"_Oh no you don't!"_ she thought quickly bringing up both her legs and with her hands tightly gripping the handles she kicked out to the side with both legs, hitting the guy straight in his ribcage, knocking him and the bike over!

She watched him crash against a truck before raising her eyes to the remaining two bikers.

The boss whom she had stolen from and one of his goons where still hot on her heels, but suddenly they both pulled to an abrupt stop as they looked at something in front of her!

"Huh?" she turned her brown eyes back to the road before her, but what she saw wasn't anything she could have ever imagined!

"What the hell!?!" she cried out as a bluish swelling portal opened up in front of her! She tightly closed her eyes as she zoomed straight into it on her red motorcycle!

When she finally opened her eyes again she had to blink a few times before actually realizing that she was…riding straight through an enormous looking dessert with rocks poking up here and there!

"What the-where am I?" she asked out loud as she looked at the landscape passing by.

As she was driving between some large sized rocks her ears suddenly caught the sound of engines roaring somewhere very near her!

Her eyes moved up and she saw three silver haired, leather dressed guys on top of a large rock or small mountain.

The one in the middle nodded his head and the other two took off down the mountain side, chasing something or someone that she was unable to see.

She speeded up, but she almost kicked to a stop when she rounded a hill! "What is that?!"

Some blond guy was being chased by two of the three silver haired guys she had seen and something she had never seen before…it looked like some kind of monster hounds! They were large, beastly and their paws weren't even touching the ground beneath them!

"Where's Mother?!" she suddenly heard the guy with short silver hair shout as he made a move too hit the blond with some strange device on his left arm that sent out small sparks as he missed him by mere centimeters!

"We know you hid her brother." the other one with long silver hair said in a much softer voice coming up beside him and bringing out a weapon that looked like a mix between a daggered and a handgun.

He fired a shot and hit the guy straight in the head making his sunglasses fly off!

"Okay that's decided then, I've got to help him!" She looked around her.

Her lips formed into a smirk when her eyes landed on a high shark fin like rock positioned out over where the three guys were gonna ride under in a moment.

She kicked down hard on the gas and drove behind a row of rocks too avoid being seen. "Here we go!" she shouted as she hit the rock and speeded up and over the edge, falling!

Cloud just barely avoided Yazoo's second attack by bringing up his Double-handed sword and blocking the bullet! He swung out his sword again, creating some space between them as Yazoo avoided his attack!

"You're done Brother!" he heard a voice beside him. Turning he found Loz reaching his arm to strike him!

"Shit." Cloud mumbled he wouldn't be able to avoid it!

"Huh?" he looked up as he suddenly heard another engine sound and saw a bike much different from his own speed over the edge of a large rock falling straight towards them!

"What the hell?!" Loz chocked out as he was suddenly hit with a foot straight in the chest by a new biker coming out of nowhere! He almost lost his balance as his bike spun round a few times!

Cloud watched the mysterious biker hit down and zoom right after Loz before bringing her red bike around and driving up beside him!

She nodded her head to him before bending down and bringing out a black handgun of some and started shooting multiplied rounds after Loz! Giving Cloud some room to concentrate on Yazoo.

**Kadaj P.O.V!**

"Tell me." He commanded into his black cell as he stood leaning against his bike, keeping an eye on what was going on with the others.

"You're leading me on. Because I think you do have Mother there. No need to shout!" he laughed into the phone before gaining a slight annoyed face.

"I don't want to talk to you anymore. Put the president on." He said in a threatening calm voice.

"Good and you better not be lying." He ended closing his cell. He turned looking out over the dessert where Loz and Yazoo was still chasing after big brother.

"Hey now what is this?" his mako green eyes landed on another person raiding beside brother, a female one.

He saw as she actually got a hit in on Loz making him slow down a knot. "And who might you be? Brother's friend?" he asked himself.

"Well no matter, I'll find out about that later." He grinned raising his hand.

**End P.O.V!**

"Huh!" both Cloud and the mysterious biker turned their heads as the shadow hounds around them vanished just as they were about to get them and at the same time Loz and Yazoo turned around as well speeding back up the mountain again.

Cloud and the biker both pulled their bikes to a stop and looked up, their eyes landing on the last one of the silver haired guys, who stood smirking down at them before nodding his head and driving away with Loz and Yazoo.

"I don't suppose you know what that was about?" Cloud turned his head as he heard the biker speak up for the first time since she appeared.

He ran his eyes over her, studying her. He couldn't see her face since the glass in the red helmet she was wearing was completely black, at least to him.

She wore tight black pants, tucked down into a pair of blood red biker boots with buckles up the sides.

She wore a tight black leather top, which had a high collar with a small silver bugle holding it together since it had a round opening right over of her breasts, showing of how round and full they were!

Over it she wore a blood red leather jacket with the collar flipped up. Finishing everything of where her red helmet and a pair of black leather gloves.

"No I don't really know, but I can take a guess." He finally said after he stopped studying her.

"And?" she asked placing one gloved hand on her hip, coming off kind of impatience.

"_Is he checking me out? How cute!" _she thought to herself with a small smirk as she noticed his eyes running over her then flying up to her 'face' before answering.

"Come with me I think I know where I can get some answerers." he mentioned starting up his bike again as she did the same following after him.

"So where exactly are we heading?" the biker asked after some time.

They had entered a more vigorous piece of the land now and where driving on a man made rode, between trees and bushes.

"We're heading to a place called Healin." Cloud said glancing over at her. "I'm suppose to meet a guy called Reno there." He thought he might as well tell her what was going on.

"You don't sound like you care much for this guy you're about to see." She stated.

"I don't." was all he said. "By the way, I'm Cloud. Cloud Strife and thanks for helping me back there." He reached his hand over.

"Not a problem Cloud. Oh and I'm Priss." She reached out and took his hand, giving it a squeeze before letting go again and paying attention to where they were going. _"Hmm Cloud. Why does that sound rather familiar to me? I'm almost certain I've heard it before." _

She looked over at Cloud again when she heard a small beeping sound coming from him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell, flipping it open. _"You have one message."_ She heard a mechanic voice say.

Cloud listened on as a familiar rough voice entered his ear.

_Beep_ "What up fool, it's Barret. I am the man!" the voice of his old friend sounded. "Oil, Cloud! I just found the biggest god damn oil filed you've ever seen!" he said happily. "Supervises done so I should be able to get out there and see Marlene soon! You let her know, all right, Spiky?" _Beep_!

"_You have no more messages."_

"Who was that?" Cloud turned back and looked at Priss, finding her head turned to him. "An old friend of mine, I'm-I'm looking after his kid." Cloud told her, having a bit difficulty getting it out considering he hadn't been home for a long time.

"You're taking care of his kid and you're not even home? You haven't left the kid alone, have you?" she asked sounding a bit chocked.

"No! No of course not." He said lowering his voice a bit again. "Another friend of mine is taking care of her." he said looking away again.

"Oh I see." Priss breathed also looking ahead again. "A special friend?" she asked.

Cloud turned to her again looking mildly chocked. "Why do you ask that?"

"Oh just from the way you said it. You're tone of voice made her sound rather special." She told him still keeping her eyes ahead.

"Well she-" Cloud started saying, but was interrupted by his cell beeping again, indicating he had gotten another message. He reached it to his ear again, his eyes widening a little when he heard the voice of the very person they had just been talking about.

_Beep_"Reno called again." she started in her soft, kind voice. "He says to hurry, but he sounded kind of strange…be careful, okay Cloud?" _Beep_

"_You have no more messages."_

"So?" Priss asked when he placed the cell back inside his pocket.

"Reno called me again. He asked me to hurry." Cloud said speeding up.

"Oh? It didn't sound like a male voice." Priss said smirking behind the dark glass of her helmet as she saw Cloud tense up.

"No it was my friend calling me. She runs a bar called 7'Th Heaven." He told her finding it quiet amazing that she had been able to hear it. "I live with her there along with a couple of orphans. We run a delivery service together, where I'm the delivery boy."

"Delivery boy?!" Priss asked turning her head back to him. "You don't look anything like a mere delivery boy, more like some kind of worrier with that Double-handed sword of yours." She nodded her head to his bike where he had shielded the large sword away.

"I'm- well it's a long story and I don't have time to tell it." Cloud said tensing up again.

"Don't have time? We're still driving in the middle of no where." Priss gestured out getting slightly curious now about her new friend.

"No it's right up there." Cloud pointed up at a resident on top of a high grassy hill.

Priss raised her head and noticed the rather large house on top of the hill. It looked as if it was build entirely out of metal! It was tall and round with a bridge running all around it. Priss nodded her head and they both turned up the gas and drove up the path.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Note:**

Hey Everyone!! Finally I have uploaded the next chapter for my Vincent Valentine story! I'm really REALLY sorry that it has taken so long and I promise it wont happen again!

So please enjoy my story and drop me a message if you feel like it :)

**Chapter 2!**

Parking their bikes, Cloud pulled out his sword. "Just to make sure Reno doesn't try anything stupid." He responded to Priss's tilted head.

They started walking up a flight of stairs on the side, leading up to a bridge running all around the house. They walked to a metal door and Cloud reached for the handle.

Priss suddenly felt a shill run down her spin as Cloud took the handle. _"What was that? Who's in there?!"_ "Cloud wait." She said firmly grapping his shoulder.

He released his hold on the handle and looked back at her. "Don't worry Priss just be ready to move fast and follow me in." Cloud said taking the handle again, when he received a nod from Priss he pushed the door open bringing his sword up in the progress.

A metallic sound was heard as Cloud's sword collided with Reno's electro magnetic rod!

"Hiyaa!" Reno quickly pulled back and tried to hit Cloud again, but he easily dodged the attack! Reno lost his balance and stumbled outside, but not before his eye caught a person standing behind Cloud!

"Huh?!" Quickly turning around he tried running back in again, but only succeeded in ramming his head into the door as the woman behind Cloud slammed it shut, locking it. "What the hell, who was that?!" he asked himself before shouting. "Okay, so you're good!

Cloud and Priss turned around when they heard another door open. A tall bald man wearing a black suit similar to Reno's and sunglasses walked in. He quickly pulled out a similar metal rod but stopped as Cloud's sword came up only centimeters from his face!

"Hmm." He gulped pulling back and took a step away.

"Year Rude, looking sharp!" they heard Reno's voice from the other side. "Hey Cloud, who's you're lady friend?" he asked.

Priss quickly stepped to the side as Cloud's foot collided with the door! But her head shot back to the other door, brown eyes widen as she heard a smooth male voice from it. _"No I know that voice. But…it couldn't be!"_

"Good. You fight like the SOILDER you once claimed to be." A man in a wheelchair said coming in. "You haven't lost your touch." He ended facing them.

He was covered in a white robe only letting half his head be seen and his right arm. A few bandages could be seen covering up his neck.

"_No…Rufus Shinra!" _The thought pierced itself through Priss's head as she took in the man before her. _"God, I know where I am…I'm…home." _Her eyes widen behind the black glass, but she kept her body completely still as Cloud spoke up.

"Rufus Shinra?" He said looking down at the man. "Do I feel sorry for you." He turned slightly to Rude, who cleared his throat nervously and looked away.

"The day of the explosion…" Rufus started.

"What do you want from me?" Cloud interrupted him.

"I managed to get out…" Rufus continued as if Cloud hadn't interrupted him.

"Who were the guys that attacked me?" Cloud interrupted him again getting angry now.

"before it colli-"

"I'm leaving." Cloud ended turning slightly to Priss before being stopped by Rufus voice again.

"Who's your friend, Cloud?" he asked looking the woman over from underneath his robe. She seemed kind of familiar to him but-.

Cloud didn't turn back around, but looked at Priss where he thought her eyes would be. He noticed how tense she was, her head held high, but he could see her chest rise and fall quit fast as if she was nervous or even…scared?

"Priss?" he whispered asking her if she wanted to let them know.

Taking a deep breath she placed a hand on Cloud's shoulder before stepping forth. She knew his eyes…all their eyes were on her as she reached up and took hold of her helmet slowly pulling it of.

Long chestnut brown hair cascaded down her back. It was long in the back, reaching all the way down to her waist and short in the front, falling to her collarbone, framing her smooth face.

Dark brown eyes opened and for a moment locked with one steal blue eye of Rufus Shinra before she looked away nodding her head slightly in greeting. "I'm Priss."

"Priss?" Rufus asked letting the question hang in the air.

"Just Priss." She snapped stepping back and standing beside Cloud again.

"What do you want Rufus?" Cloud asked placing a brief hand on Priss's shoulder.

"We need your assistance, Cloud." He finally said taking his eyes of Priss and looking back at Cloud.

"Not interested." He said.

"I acknowledge that Shin-Ra owes the planet a lot." Rufus started again. "It goes without saying that my company and I are the once who put the world in the sorry state it's in. There fore we feel it is our responsibility to get things right." He ended looking up at Cloud.

"I'm still out of here!" Cloud said placing his hand back on Priss's shoulder and pushing her towards the door a little.

"We've already taken the first step by conducting an investigation in Sephiroth's awake." Rufus said stopping them again.

"Yep, at the Northern Cave!" they heard Reno say from outside the door.

"What do you think we found?" Rufus asked him. "Nothing…nothing at all. You can relax. However not all went as planned. We where interrupted, by the same three who attacked you and Miss Priss. Kadaj and his gang."

"Kadaj?" Cloud asked turning back and paying attention again.

"It seems he doesn't want us finishing what we started. Really what could they be thinking?" Rufus asked to no one. Not that he didn't already know what they wanted.

"What does this have to do with me?" Cloud asked.

"You're our buddy, aren't you?" Reno asked. You could almost hear him smirking. Priss had to move out of the way as Cloud kicked the door again to tell Reno too just shut up!

"Kadaj's group is young, violent." Rufus started again. "As dangerous as they come. That's why we decided it might be in our interest to hire a little muscle."

"To bad. I'm a delivery boy now." Cloud told him reaching past Priss and finally opening the door a crake when Rufus spoke up again making him stop.

"You're all we have…Cloud look, you're an x-SOILDER, aren't you? Rufus asked.

"In my head." He mumbled making Priss look at him with mild confusion. "What's this stuff about Mother?" he asked turning from the door.

"Why? Did Kadaj say something to you?" Rufus asked in a small laugh. "No surprise. There are plenty of kids who miss their mother. That's the world we live in."

"I hear there are orphans living with you." He said in a light voice looking up at Cloud. "Think about it. Don't you want to put smiles back on their faces?"

"_He always knows just what to say to get what he wants."_ Priss thought as she watched at the look on Cloud's face, telling her that he was considering it.

"All we want in the end, is to rebuild our world, Cloud."

"But I…"

"Come on, Cloud. Think about it, together we could rebuild Shin-Ra!" Reno said through the open crake in the door.

That did it; Cloud moved the rest of the way and ripped open the door. "Not interested. Come on Priss." He said walking out past Reno.

Priss turned about to walk after him when a voice stopped her. "Priss wait." She froze. Did it…almost sound like he was…begging her? No matter, it made her stop in the door, she tighten the hold on her helmet.

"What?" She snapped not turning around.

"Priss." His voice sounded again only softer this time, asking her to stay.

"I…" She looked at him over her shoulder before turning back, stepping out she shouted. "Hey Could you go on ahead! I'll catch up with you later!"

Cloud abruptly stopped when he heard her shout. "What?!" he asked turning back and looking up at her. "Why?"

"I just- look its fine I'll catch up with you again Cloud!" she shouted down. "Don't worry!"

He studied her for a moment, then looking into her brown eyes he nodded his head. "Fine, but you owe me an explanation after this." He said to her before turning and heading back to his bike, driving away.

"So what now Rufus?" she asked stepping back in. Closing the door behind her and placing her helmet on the floor.

Rufus nodded his head to Reno and Rude, signaling them to leave. They did a bit contemplated, but still they left them alone.

"It's been a long time, Priss." He finally said after the door had been closed. "Did you really think I wouldn't recognize you?"

"If you're going to talk to me, remove that robe and show me you're face." Priss said sternly folding her arms underneath her chest, pushing it up slightly.

Carefully he reached up and pulled down the part that was covering his face, letting it fall to his shoulders before looking back up at her again. "Better my dear?" he asked her, gaining a small gasp from her lips as her eyes fell on the bandages.

"I…haven't been called that in a long time. Especially not by you." She said almost in a whisper looking into his steal blue eye.

His left eye was covered by a small bandage only letting her see his right also his neck had a bandage wrapped around it, properly from the explosion his was talking about to Cloud.

"You've been away for a long time." Rufus said.

"Ha, you stopped calling me that long before I disappeared." She laughed shaking her head while softly smiling.

"Priss, please." Rufus said exchanging a hand out to her. Again his eye was pleading with her.

She looked at him for a long time before finally stepping forth and placing her gloved hand in his. She looked on as his fingers slowly curled around hers pulling her closer until she was standing straight up against his wheelchair looking down at him. He reached up with his other hand and gently pulled off her glove, sighing as her soft skin touched against his.

Priss kept her eyes locked on him as he brought her hand up. He closed his eyes as he gently held it against his cheek.

She couldn't help but smile a little, but her smile fell immediately when her eyes landed on something. "Rufus what's that on you're hand?" she asked taking it in hers and studying it.

"It's nothing." He said pulling it out of her soft grasp and looking away.

Oh no, she wouldn't let him get away that easily. Reaching down she caught his wrist again pulling it back up. "This is not nothing." She said looking him straight in the eye. "You've never condescended to lie to me before Rufus, don't start now."

He let out a sigh before explaining. "It's called geostigma. It appear on the once who have the Sephiroth gene in them. You do remember Sephiroth, don't you Priss?" he asked smirking up at her.

"Of course I remember who Sephiroth is." She said through gritted teeth letting go of his hand. "My memory is only blurry not gone."

"Yes, where did you go after that day?" he asked looking up at her.

"That day?" her brows drew together slightly as she thought. "I am not sure I remember." She mumbled looking out the window avoiding eye contact.

"That's too bad." Rufus said not sounding as if he really believed her. Suddenly he reached out, catching her wrist and with one hard pull he had her sitting in his lab!

"RUFUS!" she shouted as she placed her hands against his chest with all the intentions of pushing off him, but she was stopped abruptly when Rufus's other hand moved up and caught a handful of her soft hair behind her head, pulling her lips against his!

Her entire body froze as she felt his warm lips press against hers and his other arm wrapped tightly around her waist. "Mmm." She slowly moaned out when his tongue forced its way into her mouth exploring it allover again.

She let out a small gasp when their lips finally drew apart. "Rufus why did you…" she asked looking into his eye.

"I needed it." was all he said as he leaned forth just barely brushing his lips against hers.

"_No not this time."_ Priss pulled her head back a little. "I'm sorry Rufus but, any kind of those feelings died away along time ago." She said feeling his fingers brush against her hips as she slowly got up again.

"Sigh, yes I figured as much." He sighed looking down for a moment. "Still I just needed the feeling again after those years." He gave her a small true smile which she returned.

"I'm glad you liked it then." She smiled as he took her hand again.

"At least forgive me for those years?" he asked softly stroking the back of her hand with his thump.

She smiled and leaned down pressing her lips against his one more time, running her tongue along the bottom one before straighten up again. "I forgive you Rufus." She softly said.

But suddenly their peace was interrupted as Rude and Reno came barging in slamming the door behind them! "We need to get you out of here Sir!" Reno quickly said.

"Why? What's going on?" Priss asked stepping forth.

"It's that guy Ka-" Rude started to say but he got interrupted as the door behind them were suddenly forced open by a green blast! "Shit." He said as he and Reno brought up their rods, running forth in an attempt to strike the silver haired guy!

Unfortunately for them the guy, Kadaj, was too fast and using hipper speed he moved in between them, slamming his fists into both their sides!

Smirking he sent a wave of electric power through their bodies, momentarily paralyzing them! They both let out groans as they fell to the floor, their bodies shaking in a spasm!

"Heh." Kadaj merely laughed at their pain as he stepped past them to the President.

Priss quickly moved in front of Rufus, blocking Kadaj's way! "Stop right there Kadaj!" she ordered.

"Priss move, get out of here!" Rufus urged from behind her as he quickly pulled his robe back up hiding his face from Kadaj.

"Don't be stupid Rufus I'm not running from you." She said looking back at Kadaj.

"You again. You were the one who came to save Brother as well." he studied her as she took a fighting stand. "Move or get hurt." He told her in a bored tone as he stepped forth again.

"Forget it!" she moved forth with high speed, slamming her fist right into his chest actually making him stubble back a few steps!

"Heh, you're good, but are you good enough?" he grinned as he speeded forth sending a series of hits against her, which she surprisingly easily blocked and countered with a series of kicks!

"Don't think I will go down that easily! I'm not a rooky like them." she nodded down to Rude and Reno before she moved forth and with a spin kicked him in the side sending him slamming against the wall!

She quickly moved at him again hoping she could perhaps knock him out and get Rufus and herself away. Maybe it was old instincts kicking back in, that made her want to protect him so bad?

Too late she realized she had let her mind wander for a second too long making her guard fall. But Kadaj saw it and quickly he moved in!

"Shit." Priss cursed as she attempted bringing up her leg too block Kadaj, but he was too fast and caught her leg with his left hand and with his right one he hit her straight in the stomach, sending a power wave through her body as well as knocking the wind out of her!

"Arg!" she shocked out as her body flew back, momentarily paralyzed from the pain! She felt Rufus's arms lock around her chest catching her fall.

"Priss?!" he caught her bringing her body to rest against the side of his legs, her left arm resting over his knees for support as he looked back up at Kadaj.

"Boy do I hate liars." Kadaj said as he moved in front of him looking down at the both of them.

"I apologize." Rufus said getting his attention away from Priss and on to himself. "This time you'll get the truth. The object you seek fell from the helicopter while we were running from you. I'm afraid we were careless." He said in a mock apologizing tone.

"Is…that…right?" Kadaj slowly asked a slight anger in his voice.

"I swear it."

"Fine, then swear on these." he held up a pair of id-cards with blood stains on them. He threw them. They landed on the floor giving Rufus and Priss a clear look of whose they were.

"_Tse__ng and Elena!"_ Priss thought, her eyes widening as she recognized the two people.

She tried lifting her head, but simply couldn't so instead she just raised her eyes as fare as she could in order to see Kadaj.

"Why did you do this?" Rufus asked gritting his teeth and tighten his grip on Priss, pulling her closer which made her let out a small mourn.

"We need Mother's power. The Reunion is coming and we need her." Kadaj said turning around.

"Reunion?"

"My brothers and sisters who share Mother's cells will all assemble. And together we will take revenge on the plant." He began explaining spreading out his arms.

"We've already sent out the invitations but you know, someone's gone and hidden the gust of honor." He looked down at him with his piercing green/blue mako eyes.

"Invitations?" he asked.

"The stigma, but you know all about that, Sir." Kadaj eyes moved down to the hand resting on Priss's right shoulder.

"Mother's memetic legacy lives on in the Lifestream and makes it happen. She does so much for us, and we…we don't even know where to find her." he said in a desperate like voice as he moved around.

"But what can we do, we're just remnants, really remnants of Mother's legacy. Until we find Mother and receive her cells we can't be whole again! Geostigma and a legacy aren't enough. Not for a true Reunion." He walked up and looked down at them.

"What do you mean?" Rufus asked plying dumb.

"But Sir, surely you've noticed?" Kadaj asked as he kneeled down right in front of Priss, who could do nothing, but look him in the eye as he slowly started building up more and more energy.

Both Rufus and Priss felt the power, the pain as they looked at Kadaj's form blinking back and forth from his own…to Sephiroth's!

**Author Note:**

There you have it, the next chapter! And I thought that since I've taken so long I'd give you a little appetizer of what is to come in the next chapter!

**Preview!**

"No one ever knew. During this one cleaning mission after the whole Sephiroth incident she suddenly just…vanished."

"Vanished? How wired." Reno mumbled. He took a side long glance at Rude before asking. "Sooo, what was her relationship with Rufus? With the way he was acting around her it can't have been a small thing."

"Hmm no. Back then Rufus was still only Vise President, but the Turks were still his own personal group and after a short time Priss was assigned the job as his personal helper. She was the one who brought him information and what else he needed." his eyes flicked as he said the last part.

"When you say 'what else he needed' do you mean?" Reno hinted.

- There you go! So please read on and find out more about Priss's hidded past!


	3. Chapter 3

**Author Note:**

Hey I'm back! Sorry that I once again have taken some time before uploading, but I just started University and needed to get a routine going there before I could find time for anything else…

But enough about that! Here is the next chapter of my story and I hope that more of you will start reading and messages me about it because that would really make me happy!! 

**Chapter 3!**

"Priss can you move?" Rufus asked a little while after Kadaj had left them again.

"I-I'm beginning to." She mumbled a little shakily as she carefully started moving her arm and supporting herself against Rufus as she tried getting up.

She felt Rufus lean forth and take hold of her hips helping her to regain her balance before letting go and sitting back down when she stood completely.

"Are you alright?" she looked down at him as she still stood supporting herself against the arms of his wheelchair, which caused them to be only inches from each other.

"Yes. As long as Kadaj needs me he won't hurt me." He told her before looking back at Rude and Reno who was slowly getting up as well.

"Wow, hey you're pretty good with that." Reno said making some silly karate moves in the air.

"Well thank you." Priss said off handed straighten back up again. "Oh no!" suddenly something clicked in her mind and she quickly walked away from Rufus and picked up her helmet back up.

"Wait Priss where are you going?!" Reno asked turning after her.

"I need to go warn Cloud about Kadaj." She grabbed the handle.

"Don't be foolish Priss do you even know where to find him?" Rufus asked in his calm voice once again.

She let her hand drop from the handle again as she turned back around. "No I don't, but it doesn't really matter I still need too find him."

"Then take Reno and Rude with you." He nodded his head to them.

"Year why not we know where he hangs at anyway." Reno said opening the door and with a nod from Rufus both he and Rude walked out.

"Are you sure you will be okay?" Priss asked as she moved to Rufus letting him take her hand again.

"Yes I will be fine. You know I will." He said the last in a slightly deeper voice as he tucked on her hand.

"Yes I know you will." She leaned down and pressed her lips against his in a passionate kiss before moving away.

Tucking her glow back on, she pulling on her helmet, turned and walked out where Reno and Rude stood waiting for her.

"You two can take you're helicopter and I'll follow you from the ground." She told them hopping onto her bike.

"Ha hear her! Rufus asks us to brink her somewhere and already she thinks she can give us orders!" Reno said to Rude pointing his thump at her.

"I'd watch that mouths of yours Reno." Rude said warningly. "She's not who she seems." Was all he said before he climbed into the helicopter.

"Huh? Hey what do you mean Rude?!" Reno shouted over the noise of the chopper only to have Rude shake his head at him.

Priss watched them take of before pushing a small button on the side of her helmet, closing the black visor and quickly starting up her back taking of after them.

She kept on glancing up every now and then to make sure she was right under them all the time. She noticed they had gotten out if the green area and now she was back raiding in the dessert again.

"Where are we going? There doesn't seem to be anything here." She said to herself taking a look around the endless hills of sand.

"Yo, Priss can you hear me?!" A voice suddenly boomed in her ear!

"Arg! Yes Reno I can hear you, stop shouting." She said back, taking a quick glance up. "What is it Reno?"

"You see those hills up there?" ´

Priss looked ahead of her and noticed what, looked more like a small mountain then a hill. "Yes I see it."

"Just on the other side there is a town. That's where our buddy Cloud lives." Reno's happy voice sounded in her ear. "Do you think you can make it to the top?"

She took a moment to study the different bents and ledge in the hill, making up her mind. "Year I can get up there. Meet you on the top Reno." She turned off her radio and started to push her bike gaining more and more speed.

**Up in the chopper!**

Reno and Rude sat looking down as Priss quickly got closer and closer to the hills. "Seriously I'll bet you a 100 Gil that she'll never make it to the top." Reno smirked.

"Don't underestimate her Reno." Came Rude's calm voice. "You don't know who she is."

"Ha and you do!" Reno laughed before taking a good look at the serious look on his partners face. "Or do you. Rude do you know her?!" he asked leaning closer.

"Yes I believe I do." He sighed as he steered the copper up higher. "You didn't work for Shin-Ra back then." He began.

"And I had just started little over half a year ago. That's when I met her the first time, Priss…she was already a highly ranked Turk back then although she was so young, 25 I believe."

"What?! 25! That's not possible she doesn't look any older now." Reno burst out, interrupting him.

"I know. Her looks haven't chanced much from back then either although her hair has become longer since then. She was working quiet close with Tseng at the time I met her." "The best in close ranged fights and her shooting wasn't bad either." Rude continued. "It's quiet strange seeing her again after so long."

"Year, what happened to her? I heard Rufus say something like that as well about her haven been away for a long time." Reno took a quick glance down at the red bike before looking back at Rude.

"No one ever knew. During this one cleaning mission after the whole Sephiroth incident she suddenly just…vanished."

"Vanished? How wired." Reno mumbled. He took a side long glance at Rude before asking. "Sooo, what was her relationship with Rufus? With the way he was acting around her it can't have been a small thing."

"Hmm no. Back then Rufus was still only Vise President, but the Turks were still his own personal group and after a short time Priss was assigned the job as his personal helper. She was the one who brought him information and what else he needed." his eyes flicked as he said the last part.

"When you say 'what else he needed' do you mean?" Reno hinted.

"No. No there wasn't anything like that, in the beginning." He began again clearing his throat a little.

"Priss was strictly business much like she is now, but somehow, after some time we all noticed the small chances in the way they acted around each other and when you know Rufus, well…he never was one to hold back at anything."

"Year you're right about that one." Reno agreed looking down again. "But there's just something about her, don't you think?"

"Well keep it tight." Rude said as he landed the chopper down at the top. "But after some time, actually after Rufus was named President she started working more and more together with the SOILDIRS."

"What?! You mean with Cloud!"

"Year I believe so, and after that it was like something happened to her. It was small, but it was there, we all saw it." Rude jumped out of the chopper and walked over to the edge looking down.

"Something happened?" Reno questioned as he stopped beside him also looking down. "So basically she had the job Tseng has now, Rufus's right hand. Hmm year there really is something about her, but I still say she can't get up here on her bike." He grinned.

"Heh, you just wait and see Reno."

**Back down with Priss!**

She had almost reached the hill cliff now. She'd noticed the chopper land before she reached out and on the side of her bike she placed a finger against a small button there. Just as she was about to smash straight into the cliff wall she pushed it and her wheels chanced, metal appeared around them turning into sharp blades!

With a hard pull on the handles she made her bike rear and slam the front wheel against the rock wall, both tightening her gripe on the handles and squeezing her thighs harder together she zoomed straight up the cliff!

"WHAT THE HELL!" She heard Reno shout from above as she made her bike jump from ledge to ledge before moving the rest of the way up the cliff and landing right behind them.

"A word of advice Reno." She said as she pulled off her helmet brushing her bangs out of her eyes.

"When you make a bet with someone make sure that the person you bet about is not able to hear you." She tapped the side of her helmet. She laughed a little when she saw faint red lines appearing on his cheeks.

"So is that it?" she asked turning her head and looking out at the big city ahead of them. "It looks so gloomy."

"Believe me it is." Reno said coming up beside her.

"Well let's get going." Rude called jumping back inside the chopper. "Oh and Reno, you owe me a 100 Gil." came from inside making Priss laugh out loud as she pulled her helmet back on.

"Year, year I know." He mumbled turning his head to Priss. "Sorry about that Priss."

"Its fine Reno, just get a move on I want to find Cloud as fast as possible." She nodded back to Reno as he jumped into the chopper after Rude.

She followed it with her eyes for a moment before kicking down on the gas and zooming off as well. "Huh what's that?" she turned her head slightly as something giving off a small glow caught her eye.

"Did you say something Priss?" she heard Reno's voice in her ear.

"No nothing Reno just keep going." She moved her bike over a cliff edge and landing down on flat ground for a moment. Her eyes widened when she saw what it was that had caught her eye. "No it couldn't be?"

She halted her bike right beside it, pushing a small button on the side off her helmet her vizier slide aside.

Slowly she reached her hand out and placed it against the cold metal of the great double-handed sword that had been struck down into the ground at the edge of this cliff overlooking the city.

"It couldn't really be could it?" She asked herself. "But it looks so much like his." She slowly almost lovingly ran her glowed fingers down the part of the sword she could reach before quickly pulling her hand back as if it had been burned!

Shaking her head she pushed the button again making the vizier slide back over. "I don't have time for that." She told herself.

As she started up her bike again she could have sworn that for a split second she saw a grey wolf standing not far from the sword watching her with a pair of rather familiar eyes.

"Get a grip Priss." She told herself kicking down on the gas and jumping over the edge moving at high speed towards the city where she could still see the faint outline of the chopper.

"Where did you fall behind at?" Reno asked with a grin when she pulled up beside them.

"Sorry didn't know you needed me to hold your hand when you got out." Priss smirked as she pulled off her helmet and hanged it on her handle as she slid off. "So is this the place?" she asked looking up at the large old ruin of a church.

"Yep this is it, the slum." Reno said sliding the choppers door close after Rude jumped out.

"Strange place too stay. I thought he lived with this girl and some kids?" she moved towards the high doors.

"He does, but he likes to come here for some reason." Rude said opening the door for them.

"Well it still seem strange to me and-hey what's that smell?" she finally took a good look inside the church. "Amazing." She breathed as her eyes fell on the great part up at the altar where the floor lay covered in glowing flowers!

"I don't see why a guy like Cloud would plant flowers." Reno joked as he moved up beside Priss studying the place. "Hmm strange it almost looks like someone has been fighting in here." He mumbled walking over to a broken bench and kicking the piece over with his foot.

Priss was walking down the aisle, wanting to take a better look at the flowers, when- "Oh my God, Cloud!" she shouted as she noticed two people lying unconscious among the flowers!

"What?!" Reno and Rude shouted at the same time running over to her.

"Shit what the hell happened to them?!" Reno quickly bent down to check their pulses as Rude took a look around making sure no one was there.

"Cloud seems to be fine just temporally knocked out." Priss said turning him over onto his back. "Who's the girl?"

"This is Tifa the girl Cloud is staying with." Reno said picking Tifa up bridal style.

"Oh so that's the girl. Hey Rude come over here and give me a hand with Cloud!" Priss shouted bringing one of his arms over her shoulder as Rude took the other and they all began walking out to the chopper.

Cloud blinked a few times before slowly sitting up and looking around him. His eyes landed on the girl sleeping next to him on the other bed. "Tifa?" he reached his hand out to touch her, but a voice from behind interrupted him.

"You know you're pretty heavy." Reno said catching him off guard. He was leaning against the wall on one side off the door.

"Weren't there some kids living with you?" Rude asked standing on the other.

"Cause they ain't here." Reno kept on.

They waited, but Cloud remained silent and just turned his head down. "What? You don't care Cloud?" Priss asked from where she stood leaning against the wall opposite the beds.

"I just…" he softly said looking away from Priss and back down at Tifa.

Sigh. "You're a real handful." Reno breathed before he and Rude walked out. Rude slammed the door behind them.

Priss let out a sigh of her own before sitting down in a chair standing beside her while studying Cloud who was still sitting with his head leaned down. "So what now Cloud? You're just going to sit here and mope is that it?"

"I…I don't know what else to do Priss." He said almost in a whisper

"You got too be kidding me!" she straighten up in the chair and looked at him with disbelief. "You're an x-SOILDIER and you don't know what to do?!" she half shouted at him, but being careful as to not wake up Tifa.

"H-How do you know?" He asked finally turning his head looking at her.

She could see his whole body tense up as she said those words. Shit, maybe she had been too quick there. "Easy enough, Rude and Reno told me while we were heading back here." She quickly covered up.

"Oh." Was all he said as they both fell into silence again waiting for Tifa to wake up.

After the night had fallen Tifa finally opened her eyes again. She sat up when her eyes landed on Cloud standing by the window.

"Reno and Rude are out looking for them if that's what you're thinking about." A voice said. Tifa turned her head and noticed a woman sitting in a chair with her back leaning against the wall.

"Who-who are you?" Tifa asked a bit shaken.

"Tifa this is Priss. Priss this is Tifa the one I told you about." Cloud introduced them before sitting down on the bed again not looking at Tifa even though she tried getting eye contact with him.

"You have geo-stigma, don't you?" she finally asked. "You're gonna give up and die, is that it?" she looked from Cloud to Priss, who merely turned her eyes to the window.

"So it is." She said bringing her legs against her chest.

"There is no cure." Cloud mumbled.

"Year, but that's not stopping Denzel is it! Don't run let's fight it together! We can help each other, I know we can!" Tifa tried to convince him, but it was like he wasn't even listening. "I guess that only works for real families." She mumbled looking away when she didn't get a reaction from him.

"Tifa…I'm not fit to help anyone." He finally started. "Not my family, not my friends…nobody." He ended never once looking up at her.

"Dilly-Dally-Shilly-Shally." At this both Cloud and Priss looked at her. "Dilly-Dally-Shilly-Shally!" She repeated a little louder.

"I think she wants you to move on, man." Reno said stepping back into the room along with Rude.

"Did you find them?" Priss calmly asked.

"No. Only a witness." Reno said looking from her to Cloud. "Kadaj's gang took the kids."

"Where are they?" Cloud asked him.

Reno was about to answer, but Rude beat him to it. "They're at their base now. The Forgotten City."

"Go." He said making them all look at him. "I have to talk to Rufus." He stood again.

"Stop running!" Tifa suddenly shouted after being quiet for some time. "I know…even if you find the kids, you might not be able to help them, maybe something will happened that can never un-happen and that scares you, doesn't it?" she said sitting up completely now.

"But you need to think about now, really take it in! Look at you, you think you got it so damn hard!" she shouted at him.

Priss watched Tifa shout on at Cloud before she looked at Rude and Reno arguing about rather they should leave or stay. It looked rater funny to her, but she turned her attention back to Tifa.

"Well you hate being alone so let people in." her voice lowered again. "Sure you might not answer the phone, but I don't see you throwing it away either!" she hit her fist down into the madras.

Priss turned her eyes away again locking them with Reno for a second. She made a small nod.

He nodded back. "You go." He turned getting Cloud's attention. "The base is all yours." He said as he and Rude walked out the door

Rude turned his eyes to Priss before walking out; he made a small nod which she returned, before he closed the door after them.

"Which is it?" Tifa asked making Priss turn her head back to her, but Cloud still stood with his back to her facing the door.

"Our memory or us?" she finally asked looking up at him. Her eyes seemed slightly glassed as the outside light reflected in them.

Priss studied the thoughtful look on his face. He seemed to be doing an inner battle with himself.

"_What are you thinking Cloud? Are your inner demons really that bad? Surely you must know that it wasn't your fault what happened back then, don't you?" _

She leaned forth a little in her chair resting her chin on her fist as she kept her dark eyes locked on Cloud. She let out a sigh as she pushed herself up.

Cloud finally looked up when he saw Priss stand and move towards the door. "Priss…?"

She looked at him over her shoulder while resting her hand on the knob. "Someone has to stop them Cloud and since you don't seem to be able to-"

"I'll come." He said interrupting her making Tifa look up at him with a relived smile.

Priss turned her head to the door hiding a small smirk. "I don't think so Cloud." She said in a stern voice chocking him.

"If you don't have your heart in this I can't use your help. I don't need you ruining everything." She opened the door just a crake, with no intention of stepping out.

"Priss please..." Cloud called out in a broken, but more determined voice which only made Priss's smirk widen. "I do have my heart in this, I won't let you down again!" a chocked look past over not only Cloud's face, but Priss's as well.

"What…do you mean, again, Cloud?" she asked slightly afraid he remembered her.

"N-Nothing I…I don't know why I said that." He mumbled, shaking his head before looking down at Tifa.

"Tifa call the others and get them to meet here." He said as he picked up his sword. "I think we're going to need all the help we can get with this."

"Alright Cloud I will." She said with an affectionate smile. "But where do you want us to meet you?"

"I'll call you." He said while making the phone sign with his fingers. He walked past Priss who held the door for him.

"Priss wait!" Tifa called out before she could close the door. She turned her head and looked back at Tifa. "Please look after Cloud for me, wont you?" Tifa asked which made her smile.

"I will Tifa, don't worry." with a nod she closed the door behind her and headed down to where their bikes were parked.

"I couldn't the first time so this time I will." She said to herself with a hard look in her brown eyes.

**Author Note:**

Okay just because I like you guys so much I'm gonna give you another Preview!

**Preview!**

"Cloud!" Priss shouted catching Kadaj's attention, giving Cloud the opportunity to get up and grab his sword!

She watched as Cloud chased after Kadaj, both of them jumping up into the trees! But she was quickly pulled back as a shot moved by barely missing her head! She scrambled up grabbing her own gun and opening fire at Yazoo who came running at her!

"You should have stayed and let brother come here alone." Yazoo said as he tried cutting her with his gunblade!

Quickly she flipped back a few paces, straighten up again and opening fire after him! "I don't think so. I've had enough of your Mother!" Priss shouted getting frustrated as he kept avoiding her bullets!

"You shouldn't have said that about Mother!" she turned hearing an angry shout from behind her.

Her eyes widen as she saw Loz crouching down…

- And there you go! Please leave me some comments if you like the story or have some questions!


	4. Chapter 4

**Author Note:**

Hey Everyone! I am so, so, SO sorry for taking such an incredible long time to finally up load this chapter! These past three month have just been completely hectic for me since my exams started. Two big projects and one small, but damn that pretty much took up all of my time! Sigh…

But now that that's done and over I can finally begin concentrating a little more on my different stories and hopefully I will be able to upload more often then what I have been doing up until now 

So I'm gonna shut up now and let you continue with the story. And please leave my a message or two on what you think…no flaming of course…other then that, knock yourselves out!

**Chapter 4!**

They were driving through the glowing forest hosting the forgotten city. As they had entered it Priss had looked around in amazement. The trees here were glowing a bright white color and small glowing insects were in the air making it all seem so fairytale like.

"Priss…?" Cloud called catching her attention. "What you said back at the bar…" he trailed off again looking down slightly.

"I didn't mean it Cloud at least not all of it…but I meant it when I say that I don't need your help if you don't have your heart in this." She took a sidelong glance at him before focusing back on the path in front of them.

"It's just that I…" again he trailed of. Damn why was it, that he always got this feeling of angst about letting anyone down?! _"And why does this feeling get stronger every time I look Priss in the eye? It's like…I'm afraid to let her down, as if I know how it will feel, but I never knew Priss, did I?"_

His head was swilling with unspoken questions! Letting people down, that's what he always did, wasn't it?

First Aerith, when he let her die. Then Tifa, when he didn't get to her in time like he promised he would. And then Zack, when he fought against Sephiroth and died trying to save them all! Yes he had acknowledged long ago, that his memories weren't his own, but it still hurt him, none the less.

He was so focused on his thoughts that when he felt the pull on his mind he didn't register it until he suddenly felt himself being pulled to another place! He stumbled a little before looked around him in shock. He was standing in a green field of the same flowers as the once in the church, his other home! He turned his head slightly, tensing when he felt someone lean against his back!

"You came!" the person behind him spoke in a smooth, calm and happy sounding voice. "Even though your about to brake, hmm. That's a good sign." She placed her delicate hand against his arm.

"So…why did you come?" she asked him with a small smile resting on her pink lips.

"I think…I wanna be forgiven." Cloud slowly said thoughtfully. "More then anything."

"By whom?" she asked in a pleasant voice as she leaned more against his back.

"By…" he trailed of as he moved to look over his shoulder, but before he could he was ripped out of his vision by Priss's voice.

"Cloud what's the matter with you?!" she shouted at him as he barely avoided the shot fired at him! "Look who's welcoming us!" Priss shouted over all the gun firing, nodding her head to the three silver haired brothers in front of them.

She leaned down and brought out her hand gun from inside it's hiding on her bike, just as Cloud opened up the sides of his bike pulling out two of his sword, linking them together! They watched as Kadaj started walking to them waving his hand in the air. Several kids suddenly jumped down from the trees blocking their path!

"Shit!" Priss shouted as she kicked down on her breaks making her bike fall and slide across the ground! She kicked off her bike just as Cloud fell down as well, his bike almost hitting her had she not moved!

Skidding to a halt she sat up on her knees and carefully pulled off her helmet shaking her head a few times before she realized that Kadaj were standing over Cloud talking while he held his sword against his throat!

"I'm glad you could make it!" Kadaj said bending down a little.

"I only came for the kids!" Cloud groaned pushing himself up.

"Do you see this man? He's our big brother, but alas, in our happy flock he's what you'd call a black sheep!" Kadaj brought up his sword ready to strike him!

"Cloud!" Priss shouted catching Kadaj's attention, giving Cloud the opportunity to get up and grab his sword!

She watched as Cloud chased after Kadaj, both of them jumping up into the trees! But she was quickly pulled back as a shot moved by barely missing her head! She scrambled up grabbing her own gun and opening fire at Yazoo who came running at her!

"You should have stayed and let brother come here alone." Yazoo said as he tried cutting her with his gunblade!

Quickly she flipped back a few paces, straighten up again and opening fire after him! "I don't think so. I've had enough of your Mother!" Priss shouted getting frustrated as he kept avoiding her bullets!

"You shouldn't have said that about Mother!" she turned hearing an angry shout from behind her.

Her eyes widen as she saw Loz crouching down. Rising up his arm he slammed his fist down into the earth activating his weapon which sent a wave of energy through it shacking up the ground and creating a huge muddy tidal wave!

"Oh my God." She breathed out as she raised her eyes up, she wouldn't be able to jump out of the way in time, nor could she outrun it not with Yazoo standing behind her!

Instead she crouched down and brought her arms up to shield her face, not really expecting anything. She closed her eyes harder as she felt the first drops of mud hit her, but just as she expected the wave to hit her she felt a pair of arms lock around her!

"Huh?!"

One arm wrapped around her waist pressing her against a muscular chest, keeping her from harm as the other one opened fire! For a time the firing of guns was drowned out by the strong scent of her savior…

The first thing she noticed when she finally opened her eyes again, where the arm that was locked around her waist keeping her standing upright.

"Huh?" she turned her head and looked into a pair of burning red eyes. "Ah!" she let out a shriek and pushed away from the person holding her, stumbling a few times before regaining her balance!

"Priss relax."

"AH!" She whipped around as a gloved hand landed down on her shoulder! "Damn it Cloud don't scare me like that!" she told him pushing his hand off her.

"I'm sorry, but you can relax we're with a friend." He said as he sank down onto the ground, head in his hands.

Again she turned and for the first time got a good look at the one who had saved them. He was tall with long black hair held back by a red bandana. He was dressed in all black except for the torn red cape/clock thing wrapping around his shoulders and falling down his back.

"Are you alright?" the man asked her in such a deep and calm voice that it actually sent shivers down her spine in a somewhat pleasant way.

"Yes I'm fine." She finally said snapping out of her small dace. "Thank you for saving me."

He gave her a small nod in return before moving his eyes down a little.

She followed his gaze and looked down at Cloud who still sat on the ground unmoving. "Cloud?" she asked slightly concerned for her friend.

"I knew I would be of no help." He mumbled shacking his head a few times before addressing the man standing behind Priss leaning against a tree. "Vincent what do you know about this?"

"I come here often." He pushed off the tree and moving past Priss, he kneeled down and grabbed Cloud's covered arm, where his stigma were hidden making him let out a pained hiss.

"I've seen what Kadaj's group is doing. The stigma, it's a symptom of alien matter infesting the body. The body tries to eliminate it and overcompensates." He let go and stood again when he had made his point.

"Inside our bodies is a current like the life stream, that current is what fights of any intruders." He explained turning his eyes to Priss who stood still looking down at Cloud as he breathed hard from the pain.

"What do you mean by intruders?" he finally asked after catching his breath again.

"The Sephiroth gene." Vincent said making Priss look up at him now. "Jenova's mimetically legacy, call it what you want."

"You're well informed." Cloud muttered.

"Tseng and Elena, they were brought here half dead." He walked back and leaned against the tree again. "They must have been brutally tortured. I did what I could to save them but…well we'll see."

"Tortured?" Priss asked letting slight shock and worry shine through her voice as she took a small step closer to him before pulling herself together again, remembering that they didn't know anything about her.

"They had it coming." Vincent studied the woman known as Priss with a slightly suspicious look. "They got their hands on Jenova's head." He directed the last part to Cloud.

"Then when Kadaj says he's looking for Mother…" Cloud said in a thoughtful tone.

"Havens dark carpenter the calamity, Jenova." Vincent looked from Cloud to Priss and back again. "If they wanted to they could recreate Sephiroth."

Priss's eyes widen as he said this. _"No, if they recreated Sephiroth everything that happened back then will have been for nothing!" _she cried in her mind as she wrapped her arms around herself and moved to lean against a tree, breathing hard.

"Kadaj, what is he?" Cloud asked looking up at Vincent and finally noticing Priss leaning against the tree.

"Hn, I'd rather not know." Vincent said following Cloud's eyes as he too saw Priss's slightly shacking form.

"Priss is something wrong?" Cloud stood and moved over to lay a hand on her shoulder.

"Yes I-" she started to say, but was interrupted by a rustling sound coming from the bushes!

A small form busted from the bushes and ran head first straight into Cloud. "Marlene!" he said in both shock and relief.

"Cloud…Denzel and Tifa!" Marlene tried to say between sharp breaths of air.

"Tifa's alright." Cloud said gently placing his hands on her small shoulder, trying to calm her down.

"I wanna talk to her!" Marlene almost shouted at him her petty form shacking still.

Cloud reached back into his pocket, but his cell wasn't there! He looked to Priss, but she only shook her head indicating that she didn't have one either.

Marlene looked from the woman who shook her head, to the man, Vincent. "May I?" she asked him.

Vincent moved out his cape letting her see his pocket free clothing. "You don't have a phone?!" she asked in shock.

"Vincent, will you bring Marlene to Tifa?" Cloud asked him. "I'm gonna go see Shinra and get a few answers." He explained.

"I can't do that." Vincent said shocking both Cloud and Priss, who by now had gotten a hold of herself again.

"But I-" Cloud tried but was interrupter by Marlene moving away from him.

"Forget it Cloud! Why don't you ever pay any attention to us?!" she shouted at him as she turned and ran over to Vincent hiding inside his clock which he wrapped around her.

"Marlene, please give me some time." He tried. "There's a battle to be fought but it's not as simple as just fighting it, do you understand?" he asked. He was really trying to make her understand that he couldn't just go back and face Tifa after he failed in saving Denzel.

"No I don't!" she shouted at him again pressing herself tighter against Vincent's leg.

"Cloud, you sure this is about fighting?" Vincent asked him in that calm voice of his.

"If this is about us failing in saving Denzel, you are not to blame for everything yourself." Priss said hitting the nail straight on the head. "I didn't exactly do much myself." She looked away shortly.

Again he gained that fare away look in his eyes as he took in what Priss had said. _"You are not to blame for everything yourself."_ Haden he heard that before? For some strange reason the words reminded him of Zack, but it hadn't been him who had said them to him.

While he stood there thinking he was once again pulled back to that green and peaceful place of white silence. "But…I let you die." He said as he got the familiar feeling again of the one behind him.

Sigh. "Dilly-Dally-Shilly-Shally!" she shook her head at him. "Isn't it time you did the forgiving?" she asked placing her hand on his shoulder as he was pulled from the vision again.

"Are since ever forgiven?" he asked looking up at Vincent.

"I've never tried." his voice sounding saddened.

"You mean…never tried?" Cloud whispered to himself looking down for a short moment.

"Marlene let's go!" he said reaching his hand out to her. "Well I'm gonna try." He said to Vincent in a determined voice.

Vincent gave a small nod of approval. "So what now Cloud?" he asked his friend.

Once again the thoughtful look came to him. He looked over at Priss, and then Vincent as a plan slowly formed in his head.

"Vincent take Priss with you back to your mansion." He then said making both Priss and Vincent stand straight now.

"Cloud what do you mean-" Vincent started, but was interrupted by Priss.

"Forget it Cloud! If you think I will stay behind while you go of on your own, trying to fix this whole mess, then you're wrong!" she told him her voice taking on an edge of anger.

"No you misunderstand me Priss." He quickly said. "I asked Tifa to gather together the others they should be at the bar by now. I'll go back and drop off Marlene and then I'll come back here with them." He explained to them.

Vincent turned and locked eyes with Priss for a moment. Red eyes burning into brown as they seemed to come to a mutual understanding before Vincent broke it and looking back at Cloud giving him a nod of approval.

Cloud returned the nod then looked back at Priss. "Priss?" she let out a sigh, but nodded none the less.

"Good. I'll phone in to let you know when we'll be there." He turned and started walked away with Marlene skipping along beside him.

"Oh and Priss when we do get there, I want that explanation from you." He called over his shoulder. Another sigh and Priss nodded her head to him in agreement.

When Cloud had left Vincent and Priss turned and stood facing each other in silence for a time before Vincent made a small hand gesture and they both started walking away into the forest.

**Author Note:**

Okay there we go again. Another chapter uploaded for you guys to enjoy  And once again as always I'll leave you with a preview of what's gonna happen to our heroin next time…

**Preview!**

"I was 22 when I met Tseng for the first time, and together we worked directly under Rufus, meaning that we were the once to bring him information on everything the Turks did and found out etc. He was still only Vice President back then." she said making a hand gesture as if it didn't really matter.

"I remember that at more then one occasion I would catch Rufus looking at me when I was with Tseng reporting. After some time, I started returning those looks, and then one day I was assigned the job as Rufus's personal helper, meaning I alone had to bring all information to him and what else he needed."

"This also meant that Tseng was assigned to work with Elena and they, along with all other groups, had to bring all information directly to me."

"What do you mean 'what else he needed'?" The quiet voice of Vincent suddenly interrupted her.

"I know what you're thinking Vincent, but it was nothing like that." She said with a small smile his way. "Not at first anyway,

- There you are! Okay I know it's a bit short but I don't want to give away too much of what's going to happen in the next chapter seeing as it's not as long as the others…


	5. Chapter 5

Authors Note:

**Authors Note:**

Hey Mina-san!

Again I am so sorry for taking such a long time before updating!! I don't really have an proper excuse for taking such a long time other then that I have been focusing more on writing chapters for my other story so once again I apologize to everyone who is reading this story! I love you all for doing it and I will try to get the next chapter up sooner…

Well I will let you get on with the story now and I know this chapter is a bit short…

**Chapter 5!**

The only thing, other then the silence that surrounded them, were the quiet sound of the crushing leafs underneath their boots as they walked side by side through the glowing forest...

"I hope you don't mind Vincent, but I need to go back and get my bike." Priss spoke up without looking his way though she finally broke the thick silences that had been hanging between them since they left the clearing.

"I don't mind. Come it's this way." He spoke quietly and chancing direction without much of an argument.

They both stepped back into the clearing where the fight had occurred less then a full hour ago. No one was there anymore so it was safe enough for them to go look around. They stepped over the many long scratches made in the dirt and broken glowing branches laying here and there, all caused by their resent battle.

Soon enough Priss left Vincent's side and walked over to her red on black bike and pulled it out of the bushes it had landed in after she crashed. She scanned it over with her keen eyes and gliding her fingers over the paint, making sure it hadn't taken any damaged from the fall. "Thank God you're okay." She whispered with relief before pulling it with her back to where Vincent patiently stood waiting.

"What's wrong?" he asked when he noticed her eyes moving over the grounds.

"I dropped my gun when you grabbed me and I don't see it anywhere." She told him still looking around them.

"Is this what you are searching for?" He asked as he pulled a strange looking handgun from the inside of his clock.

"Hm?" she moved her attention back to him and looked down at what he was holding out to her. "Yes that's it!" she happily took her black machine handgun from Vincent's golden clawed hand.

"I've never seen a weapon like that before." He told her while studying the gun resting in her small hand.

"I'm not surprised." She gave him a quick smile. "It's a common gun amongst certain kind of people where I'm from, but here it isn't something you would be able to find I'm sure." She told him.

"And where exactly are you from?" Vincent dared ask her. He didn't know what it was, but this woman seemed to have something about her that appealed to him in a strong way. Making him want to learn more about her…

Priss tensed up again as he asked just that question and her features seemed to darken slightly as she lower her head casting shadows over her eyes. "I'll tell you when Cloud gets back with your other friends, I don't think I'll be able to tell my story more then once." She spoke quietly while hiding her gun away in her motorcycle again.

Vincent nodded in understanding of her wish and instead he turned and started walking away back into the forest again with Priss right beside him.

Priss looked around her as she walked with Vincent through the long halls of the old mansion. Considering its age and what it used to be it was very beautiful, she guessed that Vincent must be taking care of his home. It even had a hint of Victorian still to it which she had to admit, suited him very well.

"Come inside here." Vincent's dark voice broke her from her thoughts. She looked at him and noted that he was holding a door open for her to enter.

She walked past him and stepped into a cozy looking living room. The entire back wall was lined with bookcases from floor to sealing, already a warm fire was dancing in the stone carved fireplace and warm red furniture's stood around a table positioned in the middle of the room.

"We can wait for Cloud and the others in here." Vincent said as he kneeled down and placed more wood onto the fire.

With a nod that he wouldn't have been able to see anyway Priss walked over and sat down in one of the chairs, swinging one leg over the armrest and turned her body so she was facing the windows which made up for most of the other wall. She let out a sigh as she watched the night slowly approaching, bringing with it ominous clouds…

"Looks like its going to rain." She breathed, though she wasn't really speaking to Vincent, but her quiet words caught his attention anyway making look over at her. He rose an eyebrow when he noticed the way she was sitting, one leg up and she was supporting her head on her right hand.

Again the silence from the forest had fallen over them as they sat together waiting for the others. Vincent had stepped out when he had heard the downstairs phone ring. It was Cloud who called to let them know that he and the others were on their way. Now Vincent sat reading in one of the armchairs closest to the fireplace.

After some time Priss cast another sidelong glance in Vincent's direction. She had been doing this a few times now, but this time she finally deciding to ask the question she had been holding back. "Vincent, can I ask you something?"

"Yes." Came the short replay as he gently closed his book and looked over at her slim form that was now sitting on the windowsill. He couldn't really remember when she had gotten up from the armchair and moved to the window, he was a little surprised that he hadn't hear her move, but then again he had been rather absorbed with his book.

"I was just wondering what…what happened with your arm?" she carefully asked studying his face for any reaction. "If you don't mind me asking that is." She quickly added when his body tensed up.

"I don't mind." He spoke in that dark unchanging voice of his that for some reason kept sending small shills running down her spine. "But explaining how I got this to you would mean that I would have to tell you more or less my entire life story to make you understand." He looked down at his golden clawed hand.

"Not necessarily." She spoke in a quiet voice. "You were a Turk weren't you?" she asked in a serious voice.

Vincent's head snapped up when she said this. "How do you know that?" he asked with his eyes suddenly burning a dangerous red. How could she know anything about that, unless… "Are you a Turk? Is that why you were with Cloud?" he demanded, his voice gaining more force.

"It's not what you think Vincent." She held up her hands to show him that she didn't mean any harm and instead she focused her eyes on the dancing flames. "I was a Turk, yes, but that was years after you I expect. Still, I did read some files about you ones."

"Those files should have been destroyed or hidden away along with the man who made them." Vincent said almost growl like as he kept his eyes on her.

"They were, but I had, shall we say certain privileges in my position as a Turk, but you'll understand that when Cloud arrives with the others." She muttered the last part before looking back at Vincent's red eyes. "So what happened?"

"You read the files." He simply said his voice once again dark and quiet.

"Yes, but they didn't say anything about the reason or what happened, they were…umm, very unclear." She finally said, searching slightly for the right words to use.

"I'd rather not remember, but you are right, I am a former Turk." He confirmed. "I was assigned the job to protect a female scientist named Lucrecia who was working with a man know as Professor Hojo, whom you must know of." He added and when she nodded he continued. "After some time she…we, fell in love with each other." He looked away from Priss's dark eyes again and into the flames as a dull pain came over his body.

"But later I found out that she was already married to professor Hojo who also worked for Shin-Ra. One day I discovered something horrifying and went to ask Lucrecia about it and well…it ended up with Hojo shooting me in front of her and placing my dying body in a Mako reactor." He quickly ended as the memories became too much for him to keep talking.

"She was pregnant with the one known as Sephiroth." Priss ended in a low voice perhaps hoping he wouldn't hear her. "It's funny, almost ironical what love can do to you. People like us should never have fallen in love, not like that…" she mumbled lowering her chin onto her arms and shaking her head which made her bangs fall in her eyes, shadowing her face.

"What do you mean?" Vincent asked slowly feeling his own body reach out to the woman who sat there suddenly looking so helpless for the first time since they had met this evening. "Priss?" he asked slowly getting up to walk to her, but he didn't get that fare. Voices coming from the downstairs stopped him.

"Yo Vincent where are you?!" he heard Barret's deep voice booming through the house as the black man's footsteps sounded moving up the stairs, but it was Cloud who appeared in the door first.

"They're in here." he called over his shoulder to the others before entering along with Tifa.

"Hey Vincent, Priss, something wrong?" Cloud asked as he noticed the look on Priss's face, but she just shook her head a little and looked up at him with a small smile.

"Everything is fine Cloud. Hey Tifa." She greeted the other woman with a smile as well.

"Hey Priss." Tifa greeted back before sitting down on the couch beside Cloud as the others walked in now, all saying their hallo to Vincent.

"Priss I want you to meet Barret Wallace." Cloud introduced her to a rather large muscular black man with a metal hand. "He's the friend whose kid I'm watching." He explained with a small smile remembering the conversation they had, had the first time they met. "And the blond guy over there is Cid Highwind." He said next, nodding his head to the other blond man in the room beside himself who stood leaning against the wall. "Cid is an airship pilot and worked for Shin-Ra once as well."

"Hey don't forget about me Cloud!" A high voice suddenly piped up from the chair to the right of Priss. She turned her head and looked at the other female, a much younger one.

"I wasn't going to Yuffie." Cloud said to the girl before turning back to Priss. "Priss this is Yuffie Kisaragi. She's a ninja and Materia hunter." He explained. "And last Red XIII." he mentioned to a large red dog that lay by the fireplace beside Vincent's feet.

"A pleasure to meet you." Red XIII chuckled at the shocked look that passed over Priss's face when he spoke up. "I bet you have never seen anyone like me before." He grinned.

"No I can't say that I have, but it's a pleasure meeting you all." She nodded her head in respected greeting. "I'm Priss, Priss Sh-Wheeler." She quickly corrected herself. It was the first time she was introducing herself with her last name although she had to correct herself remembering to use her maiden name.

"So Priss, um…" Cloud slowly started looking up at her.

"Yes you want to know who I am, right?" she asked, sighing as he silently nodded his head.

"Well I hope you're all comfortable then because its not gonna be a brief story, it's not gonna be a pleasant one and I don't know how some of you will react to it, especially you, Cloud." She looked at him briefly before standing up, turning her back to them and instead facing the window. She took a deep breath before beginning her story…

"You properly wonder why I asked you to go on without me that day when we first met each other Cloud, after visit Rufus Shinra, and why I was there with Rude and Reno when you woke up back at the inn?" she looked at him over her shoulder, receiving a small nod from Cloud.

"When I was around 20 I started working for the company known as the Shin-Ra Corporation. I worked hard day and night to become a Turk and after a rather short time I was picked out by none other then Rufus Shinra himself to join his personal group, I of course accepted the offer without a second thought." she shook her head with a small smile.

"I was 22 when I met Tseng for the first time, and together we worked directly under Rufus, meaning that we were the ones to bring him information on everything the Turks did and found out etc. Mind you he was still only Vice President back then." she said making a hand gesture as if it didn't really matter.

"I remember that at more then one occasion I would catch Rufus looking at me when I was reporting together with Tseng. After some time, I started returning those looks, and then one day I was suddenly assigned the job as Rufus's personal helper, meaning I alone had to bring all information to him and what else he needed. This also meant that Tseng was assigned to work with Elena and they, along with all other groups, had to bring all information directly to me."

"What do you mean 'what else he needed'?" The quiet voice of Vincent suddenly interrupted her.

"I know what you're thinking Vincent, but believe me it was nothing like that." She said with a small smile his way though it never reached her eyes. "Not at first anyway, but after some time we started acting different towards each other. Rufus would constantly compliment me on everything I did, even when I brought him bad information he wouldn't get angry, not at me."

"And day by day my feelings for Rufus grew, until I finally fell in love with him." That made everyone in the room widen their eyes and even a few of them gasped slightly. "I would have thought it wrong as well." She said in response to their gasps. "Had Rufus not admitted his own feelings of love to me first. After that, our love for each other just grew and then one day I found myself engaged to Rufus Shinra, Vice President of Shin-Ra Corporation!"

"I had never been so happy before in my entire life! I was going to marry the man I loved, what more could I possibly want." She placed her hand over her heart with a soft smile as she recalled the memory of that very day. "We were so happy together and only a few months after our engagement we married. It was the happiest day in my life, but as they say happiness can only last for so long." She said in a sudden bitter voice as she looked out at the dark clouds.

"Two years after we married Rufus was named President of Shin-Ra. I of course was happy for him and nothing seemed to chance or I just didn't notice the chances, but they were there. Oh yes, they were there…" she closed her eyes for a brief moment. "Rufus began chancing. He became distant to me, colder too and we hardly ever spoke together anymore. That's when he assigned me the job of training with the SOLDIERs…"

This shocked Cloud to the bone and he got slightly nervous. "Even though they were supposed to be better then all of us they still needed training in working together as real soldiers." Priss continued not noticing Cloud's change in emotions. "I was given a group to train with, you have properly already guessed it, haven't you Cloud?" she asked turning a quick smile his way, though it still didn't reach her eyes, which had turned cold and dull.

Cloud suddenly found it very hard to breathe as he waited for her to continue.

"My group, it didn't consider of many, but there were two SOLDIERs who became something very special to me…one was named Sephiroth and the other…was Zack."

**Authors Note:**

I don't really have much to say – just please leave me a small message if you're not to mad at me for being so slow…

Well here is the small preview of the next chapter so you guys will at least have that much!

**Preview!**

She stopped when she came to a clearing and collapsed to her knees in the mud, burying her face in her hands as she cried out!

"Why? Why did you have to leave me?! I told you I wouldn't be strong enough, but you promised me…you said you would pick up the piece and keep me together…wasn't that what you said?!"

"Then why Zack, why did you leave me?!" she cried out slamming her fists against the ground repeatedly as hot tears streamed down her cheeks!

"Why?"

"I wasn't strong enough." She whispered as she sat back on her knees looking up into the sky, letting the rain mingle with her tears.

"_I've never met anyone stronger then you baby, so don't give op."_


	6. Chapter 6

Authors Note:

**Authors Note:**

Hey again mine-san!

Well I don't really have anything interesting to say…my exams are finally starting and I have two big projects that needs to be done, but I will still try my best to update again soon!

Anyway enjoy the chapter – we finally get to her about Priss's connection to our beloved Zack!

**Chapter 6!**

"Wait a second, you mean to tell us that you knew Zack!" Tifa suddenly cried out standing up from the couch and almost glaring at Priss, who simply stood unmoving by the window not even acknowledging Tifa's little outburst.

"Calm yourself Tifa." Vincent looked up at her with a dark look in his eyes which made her sit down again, head bowed and fists balled in her lab. His red eyes moved from Tifa to Cloud who sat completely frozen just staring into space with a shaken look in his blue eyes.

"Yes Tifa, I knew Zack." Priss started up again when things had settled down again her voice softening somewhat. "When I started training with Zack and Sephiroth I was angry beyond imagination. I kept thinking what the hell Rufus thought he was doing getting me out of his way like that, I was his wife for crying out loud!" she almost shouted, slamming her hands down on the windowsill, causing some of the people in the room to jump slightly.

"Priss?" Yuffie's timed voice asked, she was feeling concerned for the older woman. Although she didn't know her she was the one sitting with the clearest look of Priss's face making her able to see the pain shining in those brown eyes as she told them her story.

"I can thank Zack for the sanity I still have." She admitted in a quiet voice after taking some calming breaths. "Had it not been for him I would have been consumed by me own anger. So I began training with them and gradual as the days past by I found my anger lessening and I felt myself actually enjoying my time with the SOLDIERs more and more."

A smile became visible on her face again. "After some time I even started going on missions with the two of them, even though I wasn't an official SOLDIER. The two of them actually taught me more then I ever did them." She admitted with a small laugher as she recalled some fond memories of her time with them.

"I became really good friends with Sephiroth, he and I would often spear against each other, but it was Zack who came to mean the most to me." Her smile became more radiant as she spoke. "He was always so spirited, so full of life, never ready to give up on anything or anyone! And he could always make me laugh."

"You…make it sound like you…" Cloud started in a quiet and timed voice; his eyes were still fixed on the floor.

"Like we were in love?" Priss finished his sentence with a soft smile his way. "We were." She admitted, much to everyone's surprise. "I don't know how it happened, but he made me feel things, things I didn't think were possible anymore. He made me feel free and happy again which I hadn't been for a very long time."

Almost everyone in the room soften as they looked at her. Her lips held such a loving peaceful smile as she looked out into the approaching night…

"But of course I should have learned by then that love and happiness was fragile things that could never last..." her smile turning into a grim line as she wrapped her arms tightly around herself, her eyes down cast. "Everything suddenly went wrong…one minute I was enjoying time with Zack and the next thing we find out that Sephiroth has gone mad and Zack is sent out to stop him!"

She clinched her eyes shut. "I was devastated when Rufus ordered me to stay behind! But there was nothing I could do and I had to say goodbye to Zack not knowing if I would ever see him again!"

Her shoulders shook a bit. "That idiot, he was so reassuring. Telling me that he would be fine, as if I didn't already know what the outcome of this would be!" she spoke more to herself than to the people in the room. "I was worried sick all the time, but of course I couldn't let Rufus know that. So I acted as I always did, but I dratted each passing day that went by until…" she had to swallow a sudden lump in her throat. "Until the day we receive word of what happened in Nibelheim."

The room fell into complete silence, not even the intakes of breath could be heard anymore as they waited for her to continue…

"Sephiroth had taken the head of JENOVA and jumped into the Mako reactor, and Zack…and Zack…" she tried again, but she couldn't speak, she placed her hand against her mouth as sops threaten to escape her throat.

"Priss?" she heard the soft voice of Tifa behind her. That did it! She felt the tears starting to sting her eyes, threatening to overspill if she didn't do something, and soon.

"Priss?" Tifa asked again slowly getting up…

"I-I'm sorry I just really need to get out and get some frees air." Priss quickly said, waving her hand in front of her face as if she was suddenly feeling very hot. "I'm sorry." She said with a forced smile as she half ran half walked out of the room.

"Priss wait!" Tifa called, getting up to run after her, but Cloud's hand gripping her wrist stopped her before she had the chance. She looked at him with confused eyes, but he merely shook his head no.

Vincent on the other hand had moved to the window after Priss disappeared. He looked down and watched as Priss ran out the front door, her form quickly disappearing into the shadows of the forest. He watched as drops of rain slowly started falling against the window and without saying a single word to anyone he turned and walked from the room leaving the rest behind him in confusion.

**With Priss**

Priss was running through the forest as fast as she could, tears were blinding her eyes making it hard for her to see where she was going, not that she would have known anyway, and the sops racking her body caused her to stumble occasionally!

She finally stopped when she came to a clearing and collapsed to her knees in the mud, burying her face in her hands she cried out! "Why? Why did you have to leave me?! I told you I wouldn't be strong enough, but you promised me…you said you would pick up the piece and keep me together…wasn't that what you said?!" she screamed to the silence of the night

"Then why Zack, why did you leave me?!" she cried out slamming her fists against the ground repeatedly as hot tears streamed down her cheeks!

"Why…?" she shopped.

"I wasn't strong enough." She whispered as she sat back on her knees looking up into the sky, letting the gently rain mingle with her tears.

"_I've never met anyone stronger then you babe so don't give op."_

"Huh?" her eyes widen as an old memory suddenly came floating back to her as she sat there feeling the rain hitting her smooth face.

_**Flashback!**_

"Are you even listening to yourself, Rufus?" Priss snapped placing her hands on her hips; they were having yet another one of their fights which were starting to become all too normal in her opinion.

"Yes Priss and I believe this discussion is over." He said dismissively as he walked back to sit behind his deck.

"What?" she asked in disbelief. "Rufus don't you think for a second that you can just cut me off like another one of your workers!"

"I just did Priss!" he snapped right back at her. "This discussion is over so get back to your work!" he slammed his hand down on the table causing some papers to fly up!

Her eyes widen in rage and without saying another word she marched right out of the room, slamming the door forcefully behind her!

"How dare he!" she shouted as she briskly walked down the long hall leading to the training grounds!

She was about to grab the door handle and twist it when she stopped herself! _"No. I have to calm down or I won't be able to concentrate."_ She took a couple of deep, calming breaths before finally turning the knob and pushing the door open. "Higher rank in the room!" was shouted as she stepped in.

All the men quickly lined up and stood at attention as she closed the door behind her and faced them…

"Stand down men!" she called out as she stepped fully into the room. "Continue your individual practice!" she watched as they saluted her and turned back to what they had been doing before she arrived. She stood a moment in her own thoughts, simply watching the men in front of her when a hand suddenly landed down on her shoulder! She turned her head and found Sephiroth standing behind her along with Zack. "Yes?"

"What do you mean, yes?" Sephiroth asked removing his hand and giving her a strange look. "Are we going to practice or not?" he gestured to the spare sword he was holding out to her.

She quickly shook her head, clearing her mind a bit. "Yes of course." She took the offered sword and walked with him to a training spot in the middle of the room and took position along with Sephiroth.

"Are you sure you want to practice today Priss?" Zack asked with a raised brow as he stood off to the side. He had been watching her body language closely when she entered and in his opinion she seemed way too tense, something was wrong…

"Yes why wouldn't I Zack?" she asked giving him a small smile, which never really reached her eyes.

"Alright then." He raised his arm. "Ready? On the lowering of my arm." He looked from one solider to the other as they stood readying themselves.

"GO!"

As Zack's arm came down Sephiroth raised his katana and quickly moved in for a hit! He was pleasantly surprised when his sword was knocked to the side by Priss and she moved behind him!

Priss brought back her knightly sword and dived straight for Sephiroth's back! "Ahhh!"

He turned and caught her sword with his, locking them face to face! "What's the matter Priss, you know it's a mistake to make a sound just before attacking." He smirked as he turned them around and pushed her away making her stumbled forth!

Regaining her balance she quickly turned around and flung her sword out against his! She let out a small gasp as she was caught and moved around again by him!

"Wrong again Priss. You never attack without your focus." He calmly told her.

"_You're wrong again Priss; but that's something you are getting quit good at being, isn't it." _for a split second Rufus's voice sounded in her head, uttering those words again…And just like that, all her anger came back, full force!

Zack watched in almost slow-motion as Priss's eyes widen, her lips becoming thin lines as she turned back around with rage in her eyes now and it was aimed straight at Sephiroth or at least that's how it looked but he doubted it very much!

"_I knew something was wrong!"_ he thought in alarm as he saw Sephiroth make a running move at her! He hadn't notice any changes in her! "Sephiroth stop!" Zack shouted, but to late…being unfocused Priss wasn't able to parade properly and Sephiroth's sword slipped past her defense!

Zack's eyes widen as Priss gasped out, her sword slipping from her fingers as she instead clutched her side where Sephiroth's blade had cut through her!

"Priss?!" Sephiroth called in alarm as he turned back around, her blood dripping from his blade!

"Priss!!" Zack shouted running to her side, dropping down to his knees he placed a hand on her shoulder and carefully turned her over, making her gasp out in pain. "Priss open your eyes and look at me!" he commanded taking her face in his hands.

Slowly her eyes opened and for a moment the only thing she could see where a pained white before Zack's face leaning over her finally came into focus. "Z-Zack? Damn!" she breathed through cleansed teeth, gripping her side tighter.

"Quickly Zack, get her to the infirmary." Sephiroth said feeling her forehead. "She's already getting a high fever."

He nodded his head in agreement as he carefully moved his arms under her body and gently lifted her up bridal style, resting her tightly against his strong chest.

"Forgive me Priss." Sephiroth said as he brushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

"N-Not…your f-fault." She gasped out.

"Go."

"Right." Zack nodded, quickly turning and running out of the room and into the long metal corridor leading to the infirmary! As he ran he looked down and with horror noticed that her eyes were closed again! "Priss!" he called. "Priss open your eyes again! Priss did you hear me, open your eyes!" he shook her body lightly to wake her.

She let out a pained gasp as her side hit against Zack's hard abs. Blinking a few times she opened her brown eyes and looked up at him with a stringed smile. "Year, I heard you Zack. No need for you to…gasp…shout." She breathed out.

"If it keeps you awake I'll shout as much as is needed." He told her lifting her up higher so her head rested on his shoulder, giving her more comfort as he ran.

"_He's so handsome."_ The thought ran through her head as she looked at his face through half lidded eyes. "I'm sorry, it's just that it's so hard staying awake and I've already lost so much blood." She glanced down at her blood covered stomach. "Do you even think you'll make it before it's too late?" She asked with a small pained chuckle.

"Stop talking." He snapped at her, hearing such words coming from her lovely lips was unheard to him. He quickly shook his head and looked down at her again. "Priss!" he called seeing her eyes close again.

"I'm sorry Zack it's just…so hard…to stay awake." She ended in a mere whisper.

Gritting his teeth he quickly leaned down and captured her lips in a fiery kiss! Her eyes shot open wide as his lips claimed hers!

Her shocked eyes locked with his as he continued running down the hall. She gasped slightly when he drew his hot lips back from hers, leaving her breathless.

"Zack wha-?"

"No, you listen now. I've never met anyone stronger then you babe, so don't you dare give op. I'm not about to lose you." He said firmly, never taking his eyes of hers.

Heat rushed to her cheeks as he spoke. _"Did he just call me, babe?"_ she let out another gasp as Zack brought her up closer to him again, so her forehead now rested against his warm cheek.

"Stay with me."

"I will Zack, I promise you."

_**End flashback!**_

She let a small broken smile crass her lips as she reopened her eyes. "That's right, I remember now. That was the first time you kissed me." She sighed. "You where the one who asked me to stay with you Zack and I promised you, why couldn't you have promised me the same." She whispered lowering her head again...

**Authors Note:**

Hmm I believe I've made a cliffhanger again…well I will leave you with a preview of the next chapter so you won't be completely out of the loop 

**Preview!**

"SHUT UP!" she suddenly cried out flinging her fist out in an attempt to strike him for saying that, but he simply caught her wrist.

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING!!" she cried out flinging her other fist at him which he also caught effortlessly.

She struggled hard against him, but his hold was too strong and he had no intention of letting her go. "He's gone Priss."

"SHUT UP! I DON'T WANT TO LISTEN TO YOU!!" she screamed yanking her wrists from his grip and started forcefully hitting his chest!

It didn't do him much harm seeing as her powers were almost drained. Slowly he reached out and closed his arms around her slim form, locking her in a tight embrace making her hits even weaker.

"LET GO OF ME!" she shouted through fresh tears! "Let go off me! Let go off me Vincent." She cried as her hitting slowly ceasing to a stop.

"Just…let me go." She whispered as she wrapped her arms around his chest, clinging to him as she cried into his shoulder.

He leaned down and softly spoke in her ear. "I'm not letting you go Priss." He whispered breaking the silence. "You can believe what you want, but I do understand the feelings you have right now. The pain of loosing him, it feels like it's eating you up from the inside."

"And no matter how much you try, you can never truly forget, never truly get rid of these feeling." he spoke calmly, softly in her ear as he felt her body rest heavily against him.

- Ah, we finally get some Priss/Vincent action, but not too much I'm afraid…

Though I hope this will keep you curious until I get the next chapter up and running!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

**Author's Note:**

Hey Mina-san!

I know I have been taking a really long time with this chapter and for that I'm sorry as always… I really will try my best to get the next chapter up a little sooner this time! But I won't make any promises..

And a big THANK YOU to all that have favored my story and written me their opinion – I'm truly happy about that and I'm glad to know that you like my story and character  thank you!

Well on with the story…

**Chapter 7!**

It hadn't taken him long before he found her. After being close to her those few times her sweet scent was practically branded into his memory. He stared down at her kneeling form with sad eyes, who would have know that in reality she was a broken woman with nothing holding her together, but her memories.

"Priss?" he called as he stepped away from the shadows, letting her know that he was there. He didn't want to scare or upset her even more than she already was.

Huh? She slowly raised her head as she heard the soft, low and yet dark voice behind her. "Vincent." She acknowledged his present without turning. "What are you doing here?" she asked finally turning and slightly glancing up at him over her shoulder. Her eyes seemed haunting as they stared through those dark wet bangs.

"I was looking for you." He simply said walking up to her and stopping right behind her.

"Why? It's not like I need anyone to look after me." She stood up and gave him a dark smirk, shrugging her hunched over shoulders.

"Don't you? Is that why you were sitting out here in the rain, crying?" he asked her in a semi cold voice.

"You wouldn't understand." She mumbled her smirk completely vanishing and her eyes slightly narrowing down.

"You're wrong, I do understand, but there is no meaning in crying over his death." He told her.

"SHUT UP!" she suddenly cried, spinning around and flinging her fist out in an attempt to strike him for saying that, but he acted quicker and simply caught her wrist between his fingers. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING!!" she shouted, flinging her other fist out at him which he also caught effortlessly.

She struggled hard against him, trying desperately to pull her wrists free from his gentle grip, but his hold remained firm and he had no intention of letting her go anytime soon in her current state. "He's gone Priss." He spoke in a even voice

"SHUT UP! I DON'T WANT TO LISTEN TO YOU!!" she screamed finally yanking her wrists from his grip and started forcefully hitting and punching his chest!

In truth it didn't do him much harm seeing as her powers were almost drained. Slowly he reached past her flying fists and closed his arms around her slim form, bringing her close and locking her in a tight embrace making her hits even weaker.

"LET GO OF ME!" she shouted through fresh tears! "Let go of me! Let go of me Vincent." She cried over and over again as her hitting slowly ceasing to a stop. "Just…let me go." She whispered as she wrapped her arms around his chest, clinging to him as she cried into his shoulder.

He brought her closer and leaned down to softly speak in her ear. "I'm not letting you go Priss." He whispered breaking the silence. "You can believe what you want, but I do understand the feelings you have right now. The pain of loosing him, it feels like it's eating you up from the inside and no matter how much you try, you can never truly forget, never truly get rid of these feeling." he spoke calmly, softly, in her ear as he felt her body rest heavily against him, her shoulder shaking slightly with each quiet sob.

"How…how can you possibly know how I'm feeling?" she asked in a faint whisper raising her head and looking up into his burning red eyes.

"Can you walk?" he asked, not answering her question.

"Yes." She said a little confused, but none the less she pulled away and stepped back making his arms glide off her. "But why?"

Without saying anything he reached out and gently brushed his thumbs underneath her eyes, whipping her tears away. "Come with me." He took her hand in his and began slowly walking with her into the glowing forest.

"Vincent, where are we going?" Priss asked after some time as Vincent helped her over a fallen tree. He didn't say anything and just tugged her on. She sighed in defeat and instead started looking around them, taking in the sudden chance in the landscape. She noticed that the forest seemed to close more around them and the ground beneath her feet's had become solid, turning from dirt to stone. "Vincent where- gasp!" her words died on her lips as she looked at what had appeared in front of them.

When she had been looking down at the ground they had entered into a large cave. Vincent's quiet voice brought her back to what was going on around them. "Priss this is Lucrecia." He introduced making her look up and when she spotted what he was looking at her breath caught in her throat.

Letting her hand gently slip from his Priss slowly walked forth. "So this is Lucrecia." She softly said as she looked up at the lovely young woman frozen inside a crystal coffin that was standing in the middle of a small pond with glittering clear blue water going all the way around it, making it her own little island. Priss moved her gaze around, noticing that the only thing that seemed to be illuminating the cave was Lucrecia.

"You see. I understand you better than you think." Vincent's voice spoke in her ear. He had moved up behind her.

"Yes I understand. I'm sorry, from what I've gathered you love her very much." She said, using the word 'love' and not 'loved'. She turned her head and looked at him as he moved around and instead stood beside her.

"I do." He nodded, confirming her believes that he was still in love with her. His eyes never moved from Lucrecia's body as he spoke. "But it is also thanks to her that I am able to slowly move on."

She shook her head. "I don't understand that."

"Hmm?" he turned his red eyes back to her, locking eyes with her for a short moment before she spoke again, returning her own eyes back to the crystal.

"If I…If I had Zack with me the same way you have Lucrecia, I…I would have sat here forever and withered away." She finally said fighting hard to hold back the tears stinging her eyes.

"I can't do that."

"What?" she looked at him again, meeting his gaze.

"She would not have wanted me to." He explained. "If I had stayed here it would have been like betraying her memory, betraying her wish for me to live on and one day find happiness again." He told her, frowning when he saw anger appear in her eyes.

"Is that what you think I'm doing?" she asked turning fully to him now, the anger clear in her eyes. "You think I'm betraying Zack's memory!" she asked in a raised voice. "Is that it?!" she felt all her sadness come back again and form into new tears that spilled down over her cheeks. Bringing her hands up to cover her face she crouched down and began sobbing again. Right now she didn't care how pathetic she looked to him, she was broken and this time there was no one to pick up the piece.

Vincent looked down at her. His eyes soften ever so slightly as he looked down at her fragile from shaking with each sob that escaped her lips, he felt his lonely heart reach out to her and for a moment he wanted nothing more than to kneel down at take her in his arms and kiss her tears away…

But he stopped his thoughts and turned his face away in anger as a sudden feeling of disgust came over him. Not aimed at her, never, but at himself for having such thoughts in the resting place of his dear Lucrecia.

"_Vincent."_

"_Hm?_" He looked up as he felt the soft voice crease his mind. _"Lucrecia?"_ he looked at her frozen form, light seemed to gather around her and for a second he could have sworn he saw her lips curve upwards, but when he blinked it was gone. _"Is that your way of saying that she might be the one?"_ he asked and again he felt the soft crease.

"_I want you to be happy Vincent. I'm not asking you to forget what we had, but I want you to be able to make something new with someone who will love and understand you."_

He nodded his head slowly and looked back down at the woman sitting in front of him. Feeling the same kind of pain in his heart again he crouched down in front of her. "Priss." He reached out and taking hold of her hands he gently pulled them away from her face and looked into her warm brown eyes that were now swelling with pain and sorrow. "Please stop crying." He gently brushed her tears away, laying his hands against her cheeks.

"I'm so tired Vincent." She whispered closing her eyes and leaning into his touch. "I wish it would all just come to and end."

He felt a sudden anger take over him. "Don't say that." He half snapped at her before feeling another urge. Reacting to it this time, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers in a firm kiss.

Her eyes snapped open, but not for long as she slowly closed them and instead leaned into him. She felt his hands move from her cheeks and instead slip around her waist pulling her body flush up against his own; she in turn slipped her arms around his neck.

"Vincent I-" She breathed when they slightly pulled apart.

"Don't." he cut her off looking into her eyes half lidded eyes. "I understand if you aren't ready to say anything yet, but I want you to know that when all this is over I want you to stay here with me, Priss." He spoke before helped her to stand with him.

Taking in what he had said she finally nodded her head. "Thank you Vincent." She breathed, once again smiling as she looked into his red eyes that had turned very warm.

"We should head back. You've been gone for some time now, the others must have started to worry." He let go of her and started to walk out the cave.

Priss was about to follow when a strange soft voice stopped her. _"Please look after him from now on. I know if you open your heart you can love him as much as I did if not more."_ She turned half way and looked back at the crystal.

"Lucrecia?" she questioned before smiling and with a small nod she walked out after Vincent.

"They're back! They're back!" Yuffie shouted to the others when she noticed the two figures walking out of the forest. She quickly jumped down from her place by the window!

"Thank God." Tifa breathed before she along with the others got up and walked down to the main entrance just as Vincent and Priss came in still dripping slightly with water. "Finally, you're back." Tifa said walking up and running her eyes over them to see if they had gotten hurt.

"Hallo everyone." Priss greeted, carefully looking from Tifa to the others. "I'm sorry for causing so much trouble."

"You're not causing trouble Priss." Cloud said coming up to her and without warning he pulled her into a tight hug.

"Cloud?" she looked at him with a shocked expression.

"I understand now."

"What do you understand?"

"The way I have been feeling about you from the first time I saw you. Those feeling, they weren't mine." He pulled back slightly and looked her in the eye. "They were Zack's. That's why I felt like I was letting you down again."

"Oh Cloud." Finally understanding she reached out and wrapped her arms around him, pulling them back into the hug. "Zack never let me down and no matter where he is now; he should know that he never did." She said pulling back with a soft smile.

"_She seems…happier now."_ He thought looking from her to Vincent who hadn't moved from her side yet. "You disappeared."

"Huh?" she looked at him with questioning eyes. "What do you mean?"

"After the last time we talked together, you disappeared." He looked into her eyes knowing she remembered and understood what he meant. "What happened?"

"Cloud don't push her." Vincent's quiet voice spoke up, a slight warning tone to it.

"No it's alright Vincent." Priss interrupted him. "Telling this won't cause me any pain." She smiled as she released Cloud and stepped back from him. "It was a few days after the explosion of the Shin-Ra base. We where there on a cleaning mission, making sure there were no survivors forgotten." She began her last tail. "I was searching through one of the labs along with Tseng and Elena when I thought I heard a voice coming from a storage room where most of the ceiling had fallen down. So naturally I went to check it out."

"Did you find someone?" Yuffie interrupted in her excitement which earned her a light slap on the arm from Cid.

"No, I didn't find someone, but I found something." She started again giving Yuffie a small smile. "It wasn't until much later that I figured out what had happened. I was moving away some large pieces of ceiling and I saw several glittering thinks laying in the dark…" she trailed of for a second as she seemed to be recalling the memory. "Anyway, moving in further I didn't realise in time that a loose piece of rock above me was cracking. At the same time as I reached for one of the small orbs the piece fell down! I remember turning in time to see it land down on something red and the next thing I knew something exploded throwing me back against something and knocking me out! I woke up again in an old run down house in a world that was nothing like our own. I know it may seem hard to believe, but it's the truth." She ended looking around at their shocked faces.

"You're right that is hard to believe." Barret finally said rubbing the back of his neck.

"So how did you get back again?" Tifa asked.

"I think it might have something to do with this." She reached into an inner pocket of her red leather jacket, and stopped, eyes widening.

"Priss what is it?" Cloud asked stepping closer.

"Oh my God." She breathed letting her hand rest over her heart.

"Priss?" Vincent asked laying a hand on her shoulder.

"I…I think I might have a red materia inside me chest!" she finally said looking up from her chest and back at them with widen eyes.

"What!!" Yuffie and Cid cried out while the others just looked shocked!

"I had one in my pocket, it's been there since I got back here or so I thought!" she took a calming breath. "A few years ago I found out that one of the materia's had come with me from that night and so I went in the pursuit of getting it back again. I found it in the hands of a rather powerful mafia boss and he was causing a lot of trouble with it." She explained to them. "To say the least he wasn't very happy when I broke in and stole it back from him. He and some of his goons chased me, guns blazing, half way across the city before…"

"Before what Priss?" Tifa asked in a worried tone of voice.

"Before, a bluish swelling portal opened up in front of me. Maybe the force of it pushed the materia into me chest?"

"It could have, after all materia isn't all that hard to force into your body." Yuffie offered.

Cloud had been studying Priss in silence all the time she had talked and something had occurred to him. "You said you had discovered it a few years ago, right?"

"Year?"

"The last memory I have of you, you looked exactly the same as you do now."

Everyone became very silent as the two stared at each other. Priss turned her head a little and caught a glimpse of herself in a window. She reached a hand up and ran her finger down her cheek. Her skin was flawless maybe even to the degree of being perfect. "So, I fail to see your point Cloud." She shrugged her shoulders as if it was nothing.

"Priss you haven't aged one bit since you disappeared that day and reappeared back here again!"

"I, well it." She cut herself off not knowing what she should say to him. It was true; she had noticed it herself many times. There wasn't a day spent in that other world where she hadn't thought about it.

"Maybe." Tifa slowly began getting their attention. "Maybe it had something to do with the materia? You did say you found some before the explosion, right."

"Right." Priss nodded.

"Well maybe the exploding materia somehow entered your body and stopped it from ageing?" she ended looking around at them all.

"It isn't impossible." Vincent agreed secretly running his eyes over Priss's face. If that really were true then she could stay with him, forever.

"_That means I'm more or less an immortal."_ Priss thought in shock as she looked up at Vincent. _"This means, that I could stay here with Vincent, forever."_

"Well now that we have all that sorted out how about we get our gear together." Cid spoke up breaking the silence that had fallen.

"Yes, we should start moving." Vincent agreed getting everyone's attention. "Kadaj and the others will most likely not stand and wait for us."

"Vincent is right." Tifa said in a determined voice. "And we need to save Denzel!"

"Year, that's fine and all." Cid spoke up again coming down the stairs. "But we've all fought against this before what about Priss, wouldn't it be putting her in danger if she followed?" he asked.

"You forget Cid." Priss spoke up looking him straight in the eye. "I'm not an ordinary person. I'm a Turk and I trained with the best SOILDERs Shin-Ra ever had." She stepped up to him. "So don't think I'm an easy target, got it?" she asked her eyes boring into his.

"Got it." He gulped nodding his head.

"Good. So what now, Cloud?" she asked turning back around.

"We should split up." He spoke up. "We leave now and meet back at the town centre. Tifa you're riding with me." He said moving to the door.

"You got it Cloud!" Yuffie said bobbing her fist in the air!

"Good." He nodded his head to them before walking out with Tifa right behind him.

"Well come on Cid don't just stand there get that plain of yours moving!" Yuffie shouted running out the door.

Cid grumbling something about 'hyper kid', before following her out along with Barret.

Barret stopped in the door. "Yo Priss you want a ride?" he asked.

"No thanks Barret I'll get there on my bike." She thanked with a smile as he walked out.

"You can come with me." Vincent offered when Barret left and the sound of Cid's plane had finally faded away.

"I'll be fine Vincent beside I need to clear my head a bit before we go into battle." She said with a smile as she walked over and grabbed her helmet that was sitting by the door. When she straightened up again she felt arms lock around her waist pulling her back against a strong chest.

"I'll be following you from the sky." He whispered in her ear laying a soft kiss against her neck.

She turned her head and softly brushed her lips against his. Pulling out of his embrace she put on her helmet and giving him a wink she disappeared out the door.

When he couldn't here the roaring of her engine anymore Vincent moved out as well, taking to the skies.

**With Priss!**

"_I wonder if this is really okay?" _she thought as she road through the glowing forest, her thoughts going back to Vincent.

"Hm?" something grey moving amongst the trees to her left caught her eye. She turned her head, her keen eyes scanning the forest. She let out a gasp and almost lost control of her bike when a large grey wolf appeared from behind a tree and started running in the same direction as her!

Brown eyes locked with a pair of soft dark blue once, and for a long moment the world around her seemed to disappear. Slowly she straightened up and looked around her. Everything was completely white and silent, she couldn't even feel the wind anymore and her helmet along with her bike had disappeared as well.

"Sometimes I believe you think things over to much instead of just following your heart." A deep humours voice spoke up behind her.

She froze, eyes wide. "Am I dreaming?" her words came out in little over a whisper.

"No not quiet."

"Then I must have died and gone to heaven." She smiled closing her eyes.

She heard a deep chuckle. "I've been holding my hand over you for this many years; do you really think I would take me eyes off you now?"

"You did once and after that I never saw you again." her smile faded and her hands clinched into fists at her sides. It was quiet for some time and she didn't dare turn around for fear of what she would find. She let out a gasp as arms suddenly wrapped around her pulling her back against a strong muscular chest! A chest she knew all to well.

"Forgive me Priss." His lips were right by her ear making her shiver as his warm breath brushed against her neck. "Please forgive me."

Those three words were all it took for her entire body to break down and tears started to flow from her eyes. She felt his strong arms pull her body closer as sobs racket her form. "Forgive you? Forgive you for leaving me alone all those years! Forgive you for healing my heart only to break it all over again?! What exactly am I suppose to forgive you for Zack?!" she cried out as she turned around finally facing him.

"Mmm!" the next words she would have said died away as smooth lips claimed hers in a yearning, breath stealing kiss! When he finally released her lips again she had to take in a few large breaths to calm her razing heart!

"I never meant to leave you Priss." Zack began again, the pain clear in his voice. "I left with all the intentions of coming back to you, but faith wanted it differently." He breathed against her hair as he rested her head against his shoulder.

"I was so lonely without you. I-I couldn't think, couldn't work, for such a long time I walked around like an empty shell not knowing what to do." She cried against his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around him.

"I know, I know." He whispered, gently running his fingers down her cheek taking her tears with him. "I was miserable for a long time too after I came here."

"Why?" she quietly asked not looking up, but pulling herself closer to him.

"Why?" he repeated with a small death laugh. "I was doomed to a life where I could only watch you, speak to you if absolutely necessary. I could never be with you again and it tore me up inside." He tightly closed his eyes forcing himself not to cry, but he couldn't keep her from hearing the pain in his voice. "I had to force myself to be able to live without ever feeling your touch again, never hear the sweet sound of your voice. And never feel your warm body against mine; never make love to you again." Saying the last part he gently gripped her chin and raised her eyes to meet his.

A soft smile spread across his lips as he looked at her flushed face and hazed eyes. Laying a quick kiss against her lips he continued. "I love you Priss, more than anything and I want nothing more than to see you happy, even if it is with another man." He said gently stroking her cheek.

Her eyes widen. "But Zack I would never-" she started to say, but a sudden image of Vincent Valentine flashed through her mind! She looked with shock into his knowing eyes. "Zack I'm-, forgive me, I never meant to betray your love like that, I never…"

"Shhh." Placing a finger against her lips he silenced her. "You think I didn't play a small roll in leading you to him?" he asked, the laughter returning to his eyes.

"But…why?" she didn't understand why he would do something like that.

"You said it yourself." He smiled as he tucked a few loose strains of hair behind her ear. "I left you broken hearted so I had to fine the perfect man to pick it up again."

"But I." she couldn't look into his smiling eyes anymore. Not after realising that she loved another man as well.

"I know Priss, and I don't mind." He took hold of her chin and raised her eyes to his once more. "As long as you keep our love in your heart I will never truly leave you." He placed his fingers just above her left breast, causing her to blush.

"I will Zack." She took his hand into hers and touched her lips to it. "I've never loved anyone more than I love you, but if I can be happy with Vincent I will." She looked into his eyes with renewed life.

"I know you will and maybe, in time, you will be able to help each others hearts heal again, but for now you have to wake up again, someone is getting quiet worried about you."

She nodded locking eyes with him as she slowly wrapped her arms around his neck pulling them closer together. She smiled as Zack's hand tangled itself into her hair, gently cradling her neck and pushing their lips together in one last fiery kiss.

Priss mourned as Zack's tongue entered her mouth brushing against her own as they both poured their love for each other into the kiss.

"Priss?"

"Priss?!"

Hearing her name being called over and over she slowly reopened her eyes again, the first thing that came into view was the glowing branches above her, and the second was a pair of burning red eyes!

"Vincent?" her voice came out in a whisper as she reached up and laid her hand against his cheek. She watched his eyes close as he held her hand with his own letting out a deep sigh. "Why are you…" that's when she noticed that her body was lying half on the ground, half resting against Vincent with his arms wrapped around her.

"What happened to you?" he asked keeping her hand against his cold cheek.

"I-I don't know. I was…" _"With Zack."_ She thought, but she didn't voice it, instead she looked up into his eyes finding them too be filed with worry. "Vincent I…" pulling her hand from his she placed it against the back of his neck. Bringing his face down to hers she pressed her warm lips to his cooler once, shocking him. She pulled back with a soft smile. "When this battle is over I want to stay with you Vincent."

"You didn't have to give me an answer yet." He broke eye contact with her, seeming unwilling to believe her words, even though they had been the once he had longed to hear.

"I know, but I've had my head cleared and my doubts erased." With the tip of her fingers she turned his face back to her, locking his eyes with hers. "I want to live with you Vincent, forever."

Hearing those words he lifted her up in his arms, bridal style, and claimed her lips in a heated kiss! Forcing his tongue into her mouth he felt a shiver run down his own spine as the sound of her mourns reached his sensitive ears.

Priss was the one to finally pull away, gently brushing her lips against his a few more times before trying to get down again, only too realise that he wasn't letting her. "Vincent?"

"This time you're coming with me."

"But my bike-"

"Can stay here until we get back." He said cutting her off.

With a defeated sigh she nodded her head and watched as his cape wrapped around them. With a kick off against the ground they took to the skies!

**Author's Note:**

Alright that was that! I've really been rewriting that Zack/Priss scene a few time I realised, but I think it turned out okay – hope you do as well, still please let me know what you think!

Oh and of course I'm leaving you with a preview of the next chapter!

**Preview!**

"Priss."

She turned and raised her head locking eyes with Vincent who was kneeling on a beam above her. He held up his three barrel gun, Cerberus, and mentioned to the titan.

Catching on she nodded and at the same time they kicked off the beam and landed on each of Bahamut's shoulders, opening fire at its head!

It twisted around trying to get them off!

Priss gasped as one of its clawed paws came out of no where and hit her in the side, sending her plunging towards the ground!

"Priss!"

She opened her eyes when strong arms locked around her waist. "Thank you Vincent." She breathed when he landed again and released her.

"Stay close to me; you've never fought against him before."

She was about to argue, but saw the serious look in his eyes and she knew he wasn't calling her weak, he was simply concerned. "I will." She nodded and they both jumped again opening fire at its head as the others attacked its body! She back flipped away as Bahamut clawed at her again, and landed on one of the highest beams.

- A really short preview I know, but that's what you get this time, heh!


End file.
